BRUSSELS
The European Union has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia, including blocks on loans and restricting business deals with energy and defense companies.
The sanctions aim to exert pressure on Russia over its role in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, where NATO claims there are still Russian troops supporting separatist rebels. The measures could be eased or lifted if a week-old cease-fire holds.
The blacklist of individuals and companies released on Friday includes Russian and Ukrainian officials such as Sergei Chemezov, chief executive of Rostec arms firm, described as a "close associate" of President Vladimir Putin.
Also named were separatist leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Andrei Pinchuk, Major General Alexei Naumets, commander of the Russian 76th Airborne Division, and Donbass militia commander Gennady Tsypkalov.
A total of 24 figures have been banned from entering the EU and had their assets in EU states frozen.
The union has also banned debt financing for Russian defense manufacturers, such as tank-builder UralVagonZavod and state aerospace conglomerate Oboronprom, as well as energy companies Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft.
The sale of products from nine other Russian companies is banned in the EU, including arms manufacturer Kalashnikov. A total of 15 companies are affected by the new measures.
Earlier, U.S. President Barack Obama said his government would join the EU in imposing fresh sanctions and outlined restrictions on Russian financial, energy and defense companies.
Other individuals on the EU list include Donetsk deputy leader Alexander Karaman, defense chief Vladimir Kononov, security head Oleg Bereza and interior minister Andrei Rodkin.
Crimea’s first deputy prime minister Yuri Vorobyov and Russian Duma members Vladimir Vasilyev, Ivan Melnikov, Igor Lebedev, Nikolai Levichev, Leonid Kalashnikov, Svetlana Zhurova, Vladimir Nikitin, Oleg Lebedev and Alexander Babakov are also barred.
In July the EU agreed to broaden the scope of economic sanctions against Moscow, targeting financial, energy and military sectors in particular.
Previous EU sanctions only targeted Ukrainian and Russian individuals presumed to be involved in the conflict in the east of the country with freezes on assets and bank accounts.
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