BRUSSELS, March 9. /TASS/. The EU countries agreed on including 14 businessmen from Russia and 146 members of the Federation Council in the black list, introduced restrictions against Russian maritime navigation, according to a statement by the European Commission on Wednesday. The sanctions will come into effect on Wednesday evening after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and all new names on the list will be known.

"Furthermore, an additional 160 individuals have been listed in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," the statement said.

According to the European Commission, "The listed individuals include: 14 oligarchs and prominent businesspeople involved in key economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Russian Federation, <...> 146 members of the Russian Federation Council, who ratified the government decisions of the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Donetsk People's Republic' and the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Lugansk People's Republic".

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said 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.