Brussels, 31/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 30 July, the European Union imposed a travel ban and assets freeze on eight people - including people close to Russia's President Vladimir Putin - and on three entities, in connection with the Ukrainian crisis. Their names were published in the Official Journal of the EU during the evening of 30 July.
Among those sanctioned are Yuri Kovalchuk and Nikolai Shamalov, each of whom is “a long-time acquaintance of President Putin”. They are, respectively, the largest shareholder (around 38 %) and the second largest shareholder of Rossiya Bank - which is considered the personal bank of senior officials of the Russian Federation, and which, since the annexation of Crimea, has opened branches across Crimea and in Sevastopol, “thereby consolidating their integration into the Russian Federation”. In addition, Rossiya Bank has a substantial stake in the National Media Group, which controls television stations that actively support the Russian government's policies on Ukraine.
Another “long-time acquaintance” of Putin, Arkady Rotenberg, has also had sanctions imposed on him. Rotenberg is a major shareholder of Giprotransmost - a company which has received a public procurement contract to conduct the feasibility study of the construction of a bridge from Russia to the “Autonomous Republic of Crimea”.
The first deputy chief of staff of the presidential administration, Alexei Gromov; the chairman of the “Supreme Council” of the “Donetsk People's Republic”, Boris Litvinov; the “Minister of Interior of the Republic of Crimea”, Sergei Abisov; the spokesperson of the “government” of the “Lugansk People's Republic”, Oksana Tchigrina; and Konstantin Malofeev, who is allegedly giving material and financial support to separatists, have also been made subject to sanctions.
The EU has also listed three companies - Almaz-Antey, a Russian state-owned company that manufactures anti-aircraft weaponry “including surface-to-air missiles”; the Russian National Commercial Bank (RNCB) which has become fully owned by the “Republic of Crimea”; and Dobrolet which is a subsidiary of a Russian state-owned airline and has exclusively operated flights between Moscow and Simferopol since the annexation of Crimea.
With these new people and entities, 95 people and 23 entities are now subject to sanctions in connection with the “destabilisation” of Ukraine or the “illegal” annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia.
In addition, further measures on Crimea and Sevastopol were also published in the Official Journal of the EU on 30 July. It is now forbidden to make new investments in infrastructure projects in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors, or as part of the exploitation of oil, gas and minerals in Crimea and Sevastopol. Key equipment for these six sectors can no longer be exported to Crimea and Sevastopol, and it is forbidden to provide financial and insurance services linked to such operations. (CG)