EU imposes sanctions on Russia intelligence chiefs

Iran Press TV

Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:57AM GMT

The European Union has targeted two Russian intelligence chiefs with its sanctions, after announcing it was working on adopting tougher economic sanctions against Moscow.

On Saturday, the EU Official Journal said director of the FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov, and the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Mikhail Fradkov, had been added to the list of individuals targeted.

According to the EU, Bortnikov and Fradkov, also members of the Russian Security Council, were added to the list for being "involved in shaping the policy of the Russian government threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was also added to the new list of 15 individuals and 18 entities targeted by an asset freeze and visa bans.

The Official Journal said the Chechen leader had made statements in support of "the illegal annexation of Crimea" and in support of the unrest in Ukraine.

A total of 87 people and 20 entities have made it to the extended list of the EU.

The European Union has been accusing Moscow of playing a key role in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which broke out when Kiev launched military operations to silence pro-Russia protests in April.

Threats of sanctions against Russia intensified further after Malaysian Flight MH17, heading from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was reportedly shot down on July 17, over Ukraine's volatile Donetsk region. All 298 passengers and crew members on board were killed in the tragedy.

Western powers accuse pro-Russia forces of downing the civilian airliner. The pro-Russians deny any involvement in the tragedy and, in turn, accuse the government in Kiev of being responsible for the crash.

Moscow has denied having any involvement in the incident.

SZH/HSN