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Why did the EU target Crimea bridge builders?
Summary
A look back at the sanctions the European Union imposed on six Russian companies over the bridge linking mainland Russia to annexed Crimea.
What did the European Union do on the eve of 1 August 2018 to respond to Russia's bridge to Crimea? On 31 July 2018, as reported at the time, the EU imposed sanctions on six Russian companies involved in building the bridge that connects mainland Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula.
The measure fell within the wider framework of Russia–European Union relations and targeted the firms working on the structure rather than the project in the abstract.
The territory behind the bridge
The bridge led to a peninsula that Russia had annexed in 2014. In February and March of that year, Russia invaded Crimea, which is part of Ukraine, occupied it and then annexed it after an illegitimate referendum. This came amid the uncertainty that followed Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity. The invasion marked the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Against that backdrop, the sanctions on the six companies tied the construction work to the annexation itself. The EU's step on 31 July 2018 placed the firms building the link to Crimea under restrictive measures.
