Russia not likely to end its war in Ukraine due to economic sanctions, according to Rolf J. Langhammer, a professor at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy based in Germany.

”Hopes that Russia will soon give in to the Ukraine war in the face of drastic Western sanctions are likely to be disappointed," Langhammer wrote in a recent blog post. "Both the state budget situation and structural characteristics of the Russian economy create sound conditions for a prolonged persistence of a war economy based on autarky."

Russia has been the target of widespread sanctions, and the E.U. has proposed a complete ban on Russian oil by the end of the year. The hope has been that economic pressure could convince Putin to pull out of Ukraine.

The Russian economy has taken a hit but appears to be reasonably stable. Langhammer said the U.S. and E.U. will need to be committed to long-term sanctions to make a serious difference.

"The very negative consequences of the lack of important and irreplaceable capital goods from abroad, which are certain to occur in the longer term, will not quickly drive the Russian economy to ruin," he wrote. "The West will have to show long staying power."

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A judge in Fiji has ruled that U.S. authorities can seize a Russian-owned superyacht, but has put a hold on his order until at least Friday while defense lawyers mount a challenge.

The yacht Amadea, which is worth $325 million, had earlier been stopped from leaving the South Pacific nation because of its links to Russia. That order will stand for now, preventing U.S. authorities from taking the yacht to Hawaii or elsewhere.

A question remains over which of two Russian oligarchs really owns the Amadea, with only one of them facing sanctions. There are also questions about how far U.S. jurisdiction extends into Fiji.

Suva High Court Justice Deepthi Amaratunga on Tuesday granted an order allowing the U.S. to seize the superyacht after the U.S. had earlier filed a warrant. But the judge has also allowed for a pause while defense lawyers put together their challenge.

The U.S. Justice Department in March announced the creation of a team of federal agents and prosecutors to pursue wealthy Russians or those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The team, called Task Force KleptoCapture, was set up to seize assets belonging to oligarchs with the aim of pressuring Russia to end the war.

A Ukraine official said Wednesday that Russian bombers hit three electrical substations in the Lviv region.

Lviv, near the border with Poland in the western part of Ukraine, has generally been insulated from the war, though missile strikes in April killed seven people.

Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, said in a Telegram post that there were no casualties, though two people were injured. He added that the substation attack has hurt the area's train system, which has been crucial for the country's supply chains.

The European Union’s top official called on Wednesday for a ban on oil imports from Russia, a move that has been the subject of much debate since the war in Ukraine began.

In an address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Russian crude oil would be phased out within six months and refined products by the end of the year “in a way that allows us and our partners to secure alternative supply routes and minimizes the impact on global markets.”

The proposal, which was included in a larger sanction package, needs to be approved by the 27-member bloc to take effect. Europe is heavily reliant on Russian imports for its energy supply, and Russian oil and gas has continued to flow into Europe despite the bloc’s support for Ukraine in the war. 

The European Union presented a further set of sanctions on Russia, including restrictions on high-ranking military officers in command during the occupations of Bucha and Mariupol, the bloc’s top official announced Wednesday morning.

“This sends another important signal to all perpetrators of the Kremlin’s war: We know who you are, and you will be held accountable,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Von der Leyen also proposed a block on Russia’s largest bank’s access to the SWIFT banking system, along with two other banks, as well as a ban on Russia’s three state-owned broadcasters.

The sanctions announcements were included with the E.U.'s proposal for a ban on oil imports from Russia. Europe’s dependence on Russian energy has been a subject of hot debate since the invasion of Ukraine.  

Russia’s military has been deploying troops and “highly likely” intends to try to capture the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk, the British defense ministry said Wednesday.

Both cities are in the Donbas region, which has been the target of Russia's new offensive. Russian battle groups have been deployed near Izyum to support an attempted advance, the U.K. said in the daily intelligence update.

Although it has struggled, taking Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk would allow Moscow to consolidate its control in the region and try and cut off Ukrainian forces, the U.K. said.

MEXICO CITY — Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are camping out in Mexico City and waiting for the U.S. government to allow them into the country.

About 500 evacuees were waiting Tuesday in large tents under a searing sun on a dusty field on the east side of Mexico’s sprawling capital. The camp has been open only a week and from 50 to 100 people are arriving every day.

Some refugees have already been to the U.S. border in Tijuana where they were told they would no longer be admitted. Others arrived at airports in Mexico City or Cancun.

Giorgi Mikaberidze, 19, arrived in Tijuana April 25 and found the U.S. border closed. He went from being just yards from the United States to some 600 miles away in the Mexico City area. He said he traveled to Mexico alone.

“It’s very difficult to wait. We don’t know how the program will work,” he said.