Ukraine's ex-PM, Russian political analyst, 12 individuals latest target for US sanctions

© European Press Agency/Shawn Thew

US has imposed sanctions on former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and 13 more people in connection with the situation in Ukraine, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

Sanctions were also imposed against Eurasian Youth Union and Russian National Commercial Bank. Russian public figure, leader of the International Eurasian Movement Alexander Dugin was also put on the sanctions list.

Former Ukrainian Health Minister Raisa Bogatyreva, Ukrainian businessman and politician Sergey Abruzov and acting head of Russia's Federal Migration Service in Sevastopol Oleg Kozyura were also included in the blacklist.

US also imposed sanctions against representatives of the militia in the east of Ukraine, including deputy foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Rpeubic (DPR) Ekaterina Gubareva, head of the DPR Central Election Commission Roman Lyagin and former DPR defense minister Alexander Khodakovsky.

US earlier introduced sanctions against largest Russian banks, including VTB, Sberbank, VEB, Gazprombank, Bank of Moscow and Rosselkhozbank.

EU extends sanctions blacklist

On Monday, February 16, the EU published an extended "blacklist" of sanctioned individuals and entities. The updated "blacklist" was published in the EU Official Journal and came into force from the moment of publication. The number of sanctioned individuals has thus reached 151 citizens of Russia and Ukraine. The number of sanctioned companies now stands at 37.

Nineteen individuals and 9 entities were added to the EU "blacklist" on February 16. Among them are Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, First Deputy Defense Minister Arkady Bakhin, singer Iosif Kobzon and State Duma deputy, head of the Moscow department of Russia's Communist Party Valery Rashkin. Also on the list is head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General Lieutenant Andrey Kartapolov.

Fourteen representatives of eastern Ukraine's self-proclaimed republics' leadership, along with leaders of militia forces in east Ukraine, made it on the extended "blacklist" as well.

All blacklisted individuals are banned from entering the EU, and their financial assets in European banks are frozen.