EU official: $24bn of Russian central bank assets frozen in bloc

According to a top European Union official, the bloc’s 27 member states have reported freezing around 23 billion euros in Russian Central Bank assets, indicating a total that was supposed to be significantly higher.

Russia has openly stated that Western sanctions have resulted in the global freezing of around $300 billion in central bank assets.

According to information gathered by the European Commission from the 27 EU nations, only about one-tenth of the frozen assets are in the EU, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said at a press briefing.

Physical assets related to oligarchs and officials with ties to the Kremlin, such as yachts and villas, have also been frozen by EU countries.