WASHINGTON, March 24. /TASS/. The United States imposed sanctions against the Russian State Duma and 328 of its deputies, the US Treasury Department announced on Thursday.

"In addition to designating 328 members of the State Duma today, OFAC is also designating the State Duma itself as an entity," the statement said.

The US Treasury Department has also included CEO of Sberbank Herman Gref on its sanctions list. "Finally, OFAC is designating Herman Gref, the head of Sberbank and a close Putin associate," the statement said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.