KIEV, May 15. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has approved a decision of the National Security and Defense Council to extend a previously imposed ban on a number of Russian websites and social networks for three more years, according to the official website of the Ukrainian president.

The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council submitted its proposal with the president on Wednesday requesting a prolongation of the national ban on Russian social networks for three more years. The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, passed a resolution on May 13 requesting an extension of sanctions against Russia-based Internet companies.

On May 15, 2017, then Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko signed into effect a decision made by the National Security and Defense Council on expanding the Russian sanctions list of 1,228 Russian individuals and 468 legal entities.

Sanctions were imposed on several TV channels and Internet companies, including 1C, ABBYY and their Ukrainian subsidiaries. In addition, Russia’s VKontakte and Odnoklassniki social networks, Mail.ru and Yandex companies were banned.