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EU files request with Kiev on blocking Russian websites, social networks

Among the blacklisted entities are Russian social networking sites Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki, and also e-mail services Mail.ru and Yandex

© Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

BRUSSELS, May 17. /TASS/. The European Union has filed a request with Ukraine to provide information related to the legislation placing a ban on access to Russian Internet resources, which are used by majority of the population, an EU official told TASS on Wednesday.

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"We have raised the issue with our Ukrainian partners for more information," he said.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko enforced the decision of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council on expanding the list of Russian nationals and entities subject to Ukrainian sanctions and extending earlier sanctions. The blacklist includes 1,228 individuals and 468 legal entities. Among the blacklisted entities are Russian social networking sites Vkontakte (VK) and Odnoklassniki (Classmates), and also e-mail services Mail.ru and Yandex. Ukraine’s presidential press service said that Internet providers will block access to these websites in the country.

Yandex says it has some 11 million users in Ukraine, 25 million Ukrainians communicate online via Mail.ru. At least 16 million people have profiles on the VK and 9.5 million use Odnoklassniki.

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