The Czech Republic added one entity and two people to its Russia sanctions regime March 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. The entity is Voice of Europe, an allegedly pro-Russian media operation in Europe operated from the Czech Republic. The people are Viktor Medvedchuk, a former pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who allegedly bankrolls Voice of Europe, according to Reuters, and Artem Marchevskyi, the leader of Voice of Europe.

The European Commission last month updated two Russian sanctions FAQs reon the subject of state-owned enterprises, both related to insurance coverage for certain vessels and ports. The FAQs, updated March 25, explain under what scenarios EU insurers can make payments involving Russian state-owned companies, including payments directly to a port owned by one of those companies, and more.

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation March 28 issued a general license allowing certain wind-down transactions and insurance-related transactions with certain vessels managed by sanctioned shipping company Active Denizcilik ve Gemi Isletmeciligi Anonim Sirketi. The license also authorizes certain transactions between Active Denizcilik and insurers that help the company's vessels reach their port of discharge or a safe port to discharge cargo that was onboard as of March 28. The license expires June 11.

The U.K. on March 27 updated its guidance on how to request a change or revocation of a financial sanctions designation under its counter-terrorism sanctions regime. The updates said that sanctioned parties or their representatives should complete a sanctions review request form "as fully as possible," and that evidence from "reliable sources that can be verified and corroborated is likely to be more influential," according to the Global Sanctions blog. The guidance was also updated to say that once a party submits a request, "no further request may be made unless there is a significant matter which was not previously considered," the blog said.

The U.K. High Court of Justice on March 27 ruled that VTB Commodites, the commodities wing of sanctioned bank VTB Bank, doesn't have "any right of redemption" in escrow payments in a dispute over the ownership of vacuum gas oil (VGO) cargo.

The U.K. on March 27 amended Svetlana Alexandrovna Krivonogikh's listing under the Russia sanctions regime. Krivonogikh is a shareholder of Russian bank Bank Rossiya, which is a "significant stakeholder in National Media Group," which controls major TV stations in Russia that "promote the destabilisation of Ukraine." Her entry was amended to provide a new national identification number.

The European Council on March 25 added Mohamed Ibrahim al-Shafi'i Al-Salem, the leader of the ISIL-affiliated group Islamic State Sahel Province, to its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaeda sanctions regime, the council announced. The ISIL affiliate mainly operates in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

The European Council on March 25 extended until March 31, 2026, its sanctions related to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Council announced. The sanctions target those who undermine the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, threaten the security situation in the nation or "undermine the Dayton/Paris General Framework Agreement for Peace."

The European Commission on March 22 proposed increasing tariffs on imports of cereals, oilseeds and derivative products from Russia and Belarus, including "wheat, maize, and sunflower meal." The European Council will next review the proposal.

The EU General Court on March 20 annulled the sanctions listing of tire maker Belshyna AAT, finding that the company wasn't a significant source of revenue for the Belarusian government.