BRUSSELS

European Union officials have agreed to slap sanctions on 13 more Ukrainian pro-Russian separatist individuals and five organizations, the Council of the European Union has announced.

The council said in a press release on Friday that  asset-freezes would be applied against the separatists and organizations while the individuals would also face travel bans.

It said in a statement: ''This decision brings the total number of persons subject to EU sanctions over Ukraine's territorial integrity to 132 and the number of entities under EU asset-freeze to 28."

"The legal acts ... will enter into force upon publication in the EU Official Journal on 29 November.''

The names of the people and organizations sanctioned were not disclosed.

- EU divided

Foreign ministers from the EU member countries met in Brussels last week and called for sanctions on Ukrainian separatists following presidential and parliamentary elections on November 2 in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian rebels.

Both the EU and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have denounced the polls as ''farce'' and ''illegitimate''.

NATO has said Ukrainian separatists have repeatedly violated several cease-fires and that Russia has sent tanks and troops to Ukraine.

Russia has denied the allegations.

While the EU has stepped up action against Ukrainian separatists, it remains divided over imposing economic sanctions on Russia which is the 28-nation bloc’s main energy-supplier.

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