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The European Union announced on Monday increased sanctions targeting individuals directly involved in Russia’s recent annexation of Crimea and the ensuing unrest in Ukraine. The sanctions impose travel restrictions and asset freezes on 13 people and two Crimean companies.Among those on the list was Viacheslav Ponomariov, the self-declared “People’s Mayor” of Sloviansk who kidnapped VICE News’ Simon Ostrovsky and detained him, along with six others, last month.Watch all of VICE News' dispatches, Russian Roulette in Ukraine here.The sanctions target individuals involved in "undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” — specifically, those who played a role in the annexation of Crimea and the recent secession of other Ukrainian cities such as Donetsk and Lugansk.How Russia conquered eastern Ukraine without firing a shot. Read more here.Others names on the sanctions list included the leader of the armed militias in Crimea, the heads of the central electoral commission in two self-declared republics in Ukraine and the Commander of the Russian paratroopers, who was responsible for the initial deployment of Russian forces into Crimea.Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin, Putin’s deputy chief of staff, is also on the list.The EU has already imposed similar restrictions on 48 Ukrainians and Russians, along with similar actions from the US. There are now a total of 61 people on the EU’s sanctions list.Canada has also imposed economic sanctions and travel bans on 12 Ukrainian and Russian citizens.In response, Russia’s Foreign Minister condemned the new sanctions on Tuesday, saying that they were an "exhausted, trite approach…that will not only not resolve but will deepen differences, hindering the joint search for a way out of the real crisis situation in Ukraine.”The sanctions come ahead of Ukraine’s national presidential election slated for May 25, which will likely determine the future of the country.Here's the full list of Ukrainians who are on the sanctions list:
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- Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin
- Vladimir Shamanov
- Vladimir Nikolaevich Pligin
- Petr Grigorievich Jarosh
- Oleg Griorievich Kozyura
- Viacheslav Ponomariov
- Igor Mykolaiovych Bezler
- Igor Kakidzyanov
- Oleg Ysariov
- Roman Lyagin
- Aleksandr Malykhin
- Natalia Vladimirovna Poklonskaya
- Igor Sergeivich Shevchenko