The European Union plans to include PlayStation, Xbox and other game consoles in a new sanctions package against Russia. Sanctions also provide for restrictions on Russian LNG, chemicals and other products necessary for the military industry of the Russian Federation.

This was written by Financial Times with reference to a senior EU representative for foreign affairs and security policy Kai Callas. The initiative is aimed at limiting the Kremlin’s ability to use household appliances for military purposes. Kaya Callas explained that the Russian military can use game consoles to control drones. After the introduction of Western sanctions restricting Russia's access to military and electronic components, Moscow began to look for an alternative in household appliances. According to Ukrainian and Western intelligence, the Russian military has already used semiconductors from refrigerators, microwaves and washing machines for the manufacture of missiles and drones.

Despite the fact that large manufacturers as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony stopped sales in Russia back in March 2022, China remained the main supplier of prefixes in the Russian Federation. In 2024, China exported game consoles to Russia in the amount of more than $ 120 million, which is four times more than in 2022.

The new EU sanctions are aimed mainly to European merchants that supply equipment to Russia, in particular, the prefixes used. However, experts note that it will be difficult to completely stop the supply of such goods due to the availability of Chinese products in the Russian market. In addition to the ban on the supply of game consoles, the sanctions package will also include:.

Scandinavia and Baltic countries also insist on lowering the maximum price of Russian oil. Now its upper limit is set at 60 dollars per barrel, but a further decline is proposed to reduce Russian income.

Kaya Kallas notes that the EU seeks to exclude any tools that Russia can use to conduct war. However, experts, in particular Elena Belousova from the Kyiv School of Economics, note that the ban on game consoles can have a limited effect, since Russian drone operators are increasingly relying on Chinese controllers available in the domestic market or through online sites.

In order for the new package of sanctions to enter into force, the unanimous approval of all 27 EU member states is necessary. At this stage, the main obstacle may be the position of Hungary, which has repeatedly blocked or threatened to block sanctions initiatives because of their energy interests.