Bloomberg: EU has frozen Russian Central Bank assets worth over $200 billion

The European Union has frozen 200 billion euros worth ($214.6 billion) of Russian Central Bank assets since the start of Russia's full-scale war, Bloomberg reported on May 25, citing European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand.

The EU reported the number after releasing its 10th sanctions package, adopted in February, forced banks to reveal information on the size of their holdings.

The EU has also frozen 24.1 billion euros ($25.8 million) of sanctioned Russian entities and individuals.

The Financial Times reported on May 24 that EU officials are currently discussing a way to send profits from Russian assets, frozen at the central securities depository Euroclear, to Ukraine. This would not amount to expropriation but rather to an escalation of the financial pressure against Russia.

The frozen assets are generating cash from coupons and redemptions. The cash is then reinvested by Euroclar.

It is the profits from these reinvestments that the EU considers providing to Ukraine.

Russia’s Kinzhal missile is not hypersonic. Nor is it invincible

When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russia’s Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as an invincible,

The Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko