EU Journal Publishes Extended Blacklist of Russian, Ukrainian Officials

The Official Journal of the European Union published the list of 150 names including Russian as well as east Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk breakaway regions officials, for whom restrictive measures were extended.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The Official Journal of the European Union published Saturday the 28-member bloc's decision to extend sanctions against Russian and eastern Ukrainian individuals and entities into September 15, 2015.

Imposed last year, the EU's current round of travel bans and asset freezes were set to expire on Sunday, March 15.

At an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on January 29, the bloc's foreign ministers expanded the list of targeted names and decided on a six-month extension of the restrictive measures.

The list of 150 names includes Russian as well as east Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk breakaway regions officials, in addition to 37 legal entities.

The EU's other measures that target sensitive sectors of the Russian economy – banking, energy and defense – are currently due to expire in July 2015.

Some senior officials of EU member countries said there was no reason to hand down more sanctions as the new Minsk ceasefire deal was largely being observed. The new agreement on Ukrainian reconciliation was reached by Ukrainian, Russian, German and French leaders on February 12.

The United Nations estimates that over 6,000 people have been killed in the conflict since Ukrainian government troops launched a military campaign against independence supporters in April 2014.