EU imposes sanctions on eight Russians involved in Kerch strait incident

The European Union sanctioned on Friday eight more Russians over a stand-off with Ukraine in the Azov Sea, including senior security service officials and military commanders that the bloc accuses of preventing Ukrainian ships from reaching port.

Last November, the Russian navy captured 24 Ukrainian sailors and their vessels in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black and Azov seas. Moscow has not heeded EU calls to release them.

According to the statement by the council of the EU, the restrictive measures, which expire on March 15, are extended "in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine."

In addition, the Council of the EU "added eight Russian officials to the list of those subject to restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine." "These new listings have been adopted by the Council as a response to an escalation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov and the violations of international law by Russia, which used military force with no justification," the statement says.

"The officials sanctioned include the head and deputy head of the border directorate of Russian federal security service for the Republic of Crimea and City of Sevastopol, three commanding officers of Russian border patrol boats and an anti-submarine ship which actively participated in actions that prevented Ukrainian vessels from accessing their coastline on the Sea of Azov, two heads of service of Russian control points, and a Russian armed forces commander responsible for military forces in the region," the statement adds.

"The measures now apply to a total of 170 persons and 44 entities," the Council of EU pointed out.

The EU’s economic and individual sanctions on Moscow that are currently in effect were imposed over the situation in Ukraine and Crimea’s reunification with Russia.

Despite EU and U.S. sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, Moscow has vowed never to give Crimea back and there is still sporadic fighting in the east, where more than 10,000 have been killed since 2014.