EU headquarters in BrusselsBRUSSELS, Mar 9Member of the Federation Council Sergei Ivanov was included in the list of the European Union for the introduction of restrictive measures, according to a document published in the Official Journal of the EU. assistance between the Russian Federation and the Donetsk People's Republic and between the Russian Federation and the Lugansk People's Republic».Top managers of large Russian companies fell under EU sanctions. Earlier, the EU decided to impose new sanctions against 146 members of the Federation Council. These restrictions come into force on the day of publication in the Official Journal. Now, in total, EU personal sanctions affect 862 individuals and 53 organizations. Persons involved are prohibited from traveling to the union, and all assets on the territory of the European Union are frozen. In recent weeks, the situation in Donbass has escalated: Kyiv has concentrated most of its army on the line of contact and regularly shells the DPR and LPR, using prohibited equipment. Due to the threat of Ukraine's invasion, the DPR and LPR began the evacuation of women, children and the elderly to Russian regions. A general mobilization was announced. In this situation, on February 19, the leaders of the republics turned to Russia with a request to recognize their independence. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which had declared independence from Kyiv back in 2014, and on February 24, Russia launched a military operation to demilitarization of Ukraine. Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» front. Economic
