The Council of the European Union on Thursday extended sanctions against 149 individuals and 38 legal entities involved in violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, the Council said in a press release.

The sanctions are extended through March 15, 2018, the press release said.

Thus, the EU Council approved the recommendation of the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union, agreed without discussion on September 6, about the next extension of individual restrictive measures. The EU Council also made its decision without discussion.

The previous extension was held on March 13, 2017 until September 15, 2017. It concerned 150 people and 37 organizations. This "black list" was complemented on August 4 as the EU response to the supply of Siemens turbines to Crimea by three individuals and three legal entities of the Russian Federation, bringing the total number to 153 people and 40 organizations by the time of the last extension on September 14.

The EU Council explained that "an assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the sanctions regime." The list was reviewed and the Council removed four deceased persons from the list of persons subject to these restrictive measures.

Individual sanctions include the freezing of assets of individuals and legal entities in the European Union and a ban on travel to EU countries.

These restrictive measures were introduced for the first time in March 2014. In addition to these, in connection with the situation in Ukraine, economic sanctions applying to certain sectors of the Russian economy and restrictive measures, imposed in response to the "illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol" and operating in their territories, are also valid.