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Ukraine expands sanctions against Russian individuals and corporations

KIEV, December 29. /TASS/. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has expanded sanctions against Russian individuals and corporations, its press service said on Thursday after a session of the Council.

"In the wake of the continuing hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine the National Security and Defense Council has introduced new sanctions against the individuals and corporations from the aggressor state," it said.

Along with it, the Council said the sanctions targeted the persons who received seats in the State Duma "upon the result of elections in Crimea and Sevastopol", members of electoral commissions, and the Ukrainian companies in Crimea that had been re-registered in compliance with Russian laws, the report said.

Also the sanctions would supposedly affect "the officials at Russian agencies of law and order and courts who were involved in illegal detentions of Ukrainian citizens in Russia," the Council said in a report.

It also announced sanctions against former Ukrainian state leaders, who were place on wanted lists, were hiding way abroad and "engaged in the financing of terrorist activities in and aggression against Ukraine."

On March 16, 2014, authorities in Crimea and Sevastopol held a referendum on reunification with Russia. The turnout of registered voters at the polls exceeded 80% and they had a landslide vote in favor of reunification - 96.7% in Crimea and 95.6% in Sevastopol.

On March 18, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a historic treaty on acceptance of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol in the Russian Federation, and both houses of Russian parliament ratified it on March 21.

In spite of the extremely convincing results of the referendum, Kiev refuses to recognize Crimea and Sevastopol as parts of Russia.