EU imposes sanctions on Alrosa, its CEO Marinychev

MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax) - The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia's diamond miner Alrosa and its CEO Pavel Marinychev, the Council of the European Union said in a statement on Wednesday, January 3.

These designations complement the import ban of Russian diamonds as part of the 12th package of economic and individual sanctions adopted on December 18, 2023, the Council said.

As reported, the EU was to impose a direct ban on imports of nonindustrial natural and synthetic uncut diamonds and diamond jewelry from Russia starting January 1, 2024. An indirect import ban on diamonds cut in third countries, including jewelry containing diamonds originating from Russia, would start being imposed gradually on March 1, 2024 and this process is to be completed by September 1, 2024.

The United States designated Marinychev in July 2023. Alrosa has been on the U.S. sanction list since April 2022.