International Desk: The EU has imposed travel bans and asset freezes on a further 160 Russians, including 14 oligarchs and their families, as the bloc seeks to further squeeze individuals closest to Vladimir Putin.
Those targeted, who have yet to be named, are said by EU officials to provide a substantial source of revenue to the Russian Federation in the metallurgical, agriculture, pharmaceutical, telecom and digital industries, reports the Guardian.
Within the new round of sanctions, 146 members of the Russian senate who ratified a treaty recognising the self-proclaimed republics in Luhansk and Donetsk are also hit.
The EU’s sanctions policy is driven by a desire to ratchet up the pressure on those who have enriched themselves under Putin’s leadership to encourage them to act against the Russian president.
EU restrictive measures now apply to a total of 862 individuals and 53 entities. As with Russians, the EU has now banned Belarusian citizens from depositing more than €100,000 in European banks.
