Recent judgment: Joined cases C-696/23 P Pumpyanskiy, C-704/23 P Khudaverdyan C-711/23 P Rashnikov C-35/24 P Mazepin and C-111/24 P Khan v Council

On 26 March 2026, the Court of Justice gave a judgment in joined cases C-696/23 P Pumpyanskiy v Council, C-704/23 P Khudaverdyan v Council, C-711/23 P Rashnikov v Council, C-35/24 P Mazepin v Council and C-111/24 P Khan v Council.

In these cases, the Court examined the restrictive measures adopted by the EU against leading businesspersons operating in key sectors of the Russian economy.

Following the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Council of the European Union adopted restrictive measures targeting, in particular, “leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors that generate significant revenue for the Russian government”. Five businesspersons concerned by those measures challenged them, raising questions about the scope and interpretation of that criterion under EU law.

In the short video below, Judge María Lourdes Arastey Sahún explains the key elements of these cases and the legal issues raised. Subtitles are available in all EU languages and may be activated by clicking the “Subtitles” icon.

You can also consult the press release for more information.