Date: 2025-10-06Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2021 of 3 October 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities
**Executive Summary**
This Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2021, dated October 3, 2025, amends Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 concerning restrictive measures against Russia due to its destabilising activities. The regulation updates Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2024/2642, specifically by replacing entry 20 related to natural persons. This regulation enters into force the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment of Regulation (EU) 2024/2642:**
* Regulation (EU) 2024/2642, concerning restrictive measures against Russia, is amended.
* This amendment is based on the High Representative's statement regarding Russia's persistent hybrid campaigns against the EU.
* The Council has determined that amendments to the statement of reasons in Annex I are warranted.
* **Specific Amendment to Annex I:**
* Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 is amended according to the Annex in this regulation.
* Entry 20 in the table of 'A. Natural persons' within Annex I is replaced.
* The replaced entry concerns Hüseyin Doğru, including identifying information (nationality, gender) and an updated statement of reasons outlining his connection to Russian propaganda, dissemination of false information, and support of actions undermining the EU.
* **Entry into Force:**
* This Regulation enters into force the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
* The regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
**Impact Analysis**
**Member States**
* **Impact**: Member States must implement the updated restrictive measures detailed in the amended Regulation (EU) 2024/2642.
* **Action Required**: Ensure that national regulations and enforcement mechanisms align with the updated sanctions regime, including the specific listing of Hüseyin Doğru.
**Hüseyin Doğru**
* **Impact**: Subject to restrictive measures (asset freezes, travel bans, etc.) due to his connections to Russian propaganda and support for actions undermining the EU.
* **Action Required**: Legal recourse may be pursued to challenge the designation. Compliance with sanctions is required.
Key Entities Referenced
Regulation (EU) 2024/2642: Council Regulation concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's destabilising activities. This implementing regulation amends Annex I of the regulation.
Hüseyin DOGRU: A Turkish and German national and founder/representative of AFA Medya A.Ş., listed for supporting actions by the Government of the Russian Federation through spreading false information.
AFA Medya A.Ş.: A media company based in Istanbul, Turkey, which operates 'RED' and is listed for its close ties to Russian state propaganda and for disseminating false information.
Brussels: The location where the regulation was issued.
Council of the European Union: The issuing authority of the regulation.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/2021 6.10.2025
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2025/2021
of 3 October 2025
implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s
destabilising activities
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 of 8 October 2024 concerning restrictive measures in view of
Russia’s destabilising activities(1), and in particular Article 13(4) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Whereas:
(1) On 8 October 2024, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2024/2642.
(2) On 18 July 2025, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High
Representative’) issued a statement on behalf of the Union, in which she condemned Russia’s persistent hybrid
campaigns against the Union, its Member States and partners. The High Representative stated that, over the past
years, the Union has observed a deliberate and systematic pattern of malicious behaviour attributed to Russia, such
as cyber-attacks, acts of sabotage, disruption of critical infrastructure, physical attacks, information manipulation
and interference, and other covert or coercive actions. Those activities have further escalated since the beginning of
the war of aggression against Ukraine and, according to the High Representative, are highly likely to persist in the
foreseeable future.
(3) On the basis of a review of Regulation (EU) 2024/2642, the Council considers that the statement of reasons in the
entry for one natural person in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies set out in Annex I to that
Regulation should be amended.
(4) Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 should therefore be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 3 October 2025.
For the Council
The President
M. BJERRE
(1) OJ L, 2024/2642, 9.10.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2642/oj.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2021/oj 1/2ANNEX
In Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2024/2642, in the table headed ‘A. Natural persons’, entry 20 is replaced by the following:
Name Identifying information Statement of Reasons Date of listing
‘20. Hüseyin DOGRU Nationality: Turkish, German Hüseyin Doğru is the founder and representative of AFA Medya A.Ș., which is a media 20.5.2025’
company based in Istanbul. AFA Medya A.Ș. operates “RED”, which comprises
Gender: male
a number of media platforms, and which has close financial and organisational
connections with Russian state propaganda entities and actors, and shares deep
structural ties, including interlinkages between, and rotation of, individual personnel
with Russian state media organisations.
RED has used its media platforms – often publishing under “redstreamnet” or “thered.
stream” – to systematically spread false information on politically controversial
subjects with the intent of creating ethnic, political and religious discord amongst its
predominantly German target audience, including by disseminating the narratives of
radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Hamas.
During a violent occupation of a German university by anti-Israel rioters, RED
personnel coordinated with the occupiers to disseminate images of their vandalism –
which included the use of Hamas symbols – through their online channels, thus
providing them with an exclusive media platform, facilitating the violent nature of the
protest.
Hüseyin Doğru continues to spread false information through AFA Medya A.Ș. as well
as through his own social media accounts.
Through AFA Medya A.Ș. and his personal social media accounts, Hüseyin Doğru
thus supports actions by the Government of the Russian Federation which undermine
or threaten stability and security in the Union and in one or several of its Member
States, including by indirectly supporting and facilitating violent demonstrations and
engaging in coordinated information manipulation.
2/2
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/2021/oj
EN
OJ
L,
6.10.2025