Disagreement in the Sea of Azov, EU sanctions 8 more Russian citizens
(Baonghean.vn) - On March 15, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on eight more Russian citizens involved in the dispute with Ukraine in the Sea of Azov, including senior security agency officials and military commanders. The EU accused these people of preventing Ukrainian ships from docking.
 |
| The bridge connecting mainland Russia and the Crimean Peninsula. Photo: Reuters |
Last November, the Russian navy captured 24 Ukrainian sailors and their ships in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
In its statement, the Council of the European Union, the body representing the governments of EU countries, said that Russia "used force without justification".
The latest sanctions will see travel bans and asset freezes imposed on officials, including the head and deputy head of border security for Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
The decision brings the total number of people blacklisted by the EU over the crisis in Ukraine to 170 people and 44 entities.
Despite EU and US sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, Moscow has pledged never to return Crimea to Kiev and sporadic fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, where more than 10,000 people have died since 2014./.
