Ukraine crisis: EU broadens travel sanctions list of pro-Russians in attempt to stop increasing fighting in east

EU places 11 rebels on sanctions list as it attempts to stem growing tensions in Donetsk and Luhansk

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The European Union is targeting another 11 Ukrainian activists as it attempts to reduce the power of pro-Russian rebels in eastern parts of the country.

The new additions come as the Ukrainian government said that air strikes had killed hundreds of rebels with air strikes in response to the deaths of 23 soldiers from a rebel missile last week. The eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk are seen as the next likely focus of fighting and three bridges were destroyed last week.

All people on the sanctions list are subject to a travel ban and a freeze of their assets within the European Union, and the EU says that it has already seized two assets. Aleksandr Borodai is the most high-profile pro-Russian leader to join the list, along with ten other activists.

The EU says that Borodai was “responsible for the separatist governmental activities of the so-called ‘government of the Donetsk People’s Republic.” The European Union quotes Borodai on July 8, claiming that “our military is conducting a special operation against the Ukrainian ‘fascists’.”

But the 41-year-old Russian citizen has claimed that he is simply a political adviser and denies any links to Moscow.

Most of the other people targeted by the sanctions are alleged to have had roles in the governments of the self-declared people’s republics in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

The list also includes Nikolay Kozitsyn, a commander of the Cossack forces, and Oleksiy Mozgovy for commanding and training forces in Eastern Ukraine to fight against the Ukrainian government forces.

The 11 new people added to the sanctions list bring the number of people targeted to 72.