Further to our previous blog post, the EU has published the names of an additional 19 individuals and nine entities who are designated with effect from today for their involvement in action against Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. The new DPs are listed in the Annex to Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/240.
The newly-designated individuals include three Russian officials involved in the defence sector: First Deputy Defence Minister, Arkady Bakhin; Deputy Defence Minister, Anatoly Antonov; and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Andrei Kartapolov. The officials are stated in the regulation to have been designated for their involvement in “supporting the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine” and “shaping and implementing the military campaign of the Russian forces in Ukraine”. The EU has also designated Russian singer and member of the state Duma, Joseph Kobzon. Kobzon is stated to have made statements supporting separatists during a visit to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (“DPR”) and was later appointed to the Honorary Council by officials in the DPR. In March 2014, Kobzon also “voted in favour” of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
The entities are described exclusively as armed separatist groups, except for Public Movement ‘Novorossiya’/‘New Russia’.
