BRUSSELS -- The European Union has extended sanctions against dozens of individuals and entities over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
EU ambassadors agreed on March 13 to prolong the sanctions against 150 individuals and 37 entities that, according to Brussels, are responsible for actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity.
The existing sanctions were due to expire on March 15. The six-month extension means they are in place until September 15.
Asset freezes and visa bans were first imposed by the EU in March 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Crimea. Those sanctions have been continued and expanded by a series of additional votes by EU officials in Brussels
The official sanctions list includes Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, President Vladimir Putin's adviser Sergei Glazyev, Russian Armed Forces General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov, and Dmitry Kiselyov, who many regard as the Kremlin's chief propagandist.
There also are 37 entities targeted by EU sanctions. They include companies active in Crimea and military battalions formed by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The EU's economic sanctions against Russia's energy, military, and financial sectors are up for renewal in June.