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EU to extend sanctions against 146 citizens of Russia, Ukraine for 6 months — source

BRUSSELS, March 9. /TASS/. The European Union (EU) will extend sanctions against 146 citizens of Russia and the unrecognized republics in the southeast of Ukraine, as well as 37 organizations, for six more months on March 15, a European diplomatic source told TASS on Thursday, adding that this is a technical move implying no additional discussion.

"The Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER - TASS) will extend the black list for Russia and Ukraine for six months at the next meeting on March 15," he said. "The situation around Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk accords has not changed, so no discussion is expected," the source added.

The black list was last extended for half a year on September 15, 2016. It consisted of 146 people, including representatives of the Russian leadership, Russian politicians, businessmen and security officials, as well as almost all members of the leadership of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR). In addition, the list comprised 37 organizations, with all known members of the military and political structure of the DPR and LPR. European businesses were not allowed to maintain any relations with enlisted persons.

The black list for Russia and Ukraine is the only one of the three independent packages of the sanctions imposed by the European Union. Sectoral economic restrictions are effective until the end of June 2017, they are extended each half a year. Also, trade and travel restrictions with regard to Crimea within the EU strategy on non-recognition of the peninsula as part of Russia are effective until the end of this year.