The European Union has imposed personal sanctions on three Belarusian legal entities, namely OJSC BMZ, the managing company of the BMC holding, Minsk Electrotechnical Plant named after V.I. Kozlov, and Belneftekhim Concern (a state agency that oversees the operation of major petrochemical enterprises).

The list of companies, confirmed by EU documents, was published in the Official Journal of the EU on Thursday.

The EU also sanctioned 38 individuals including Belarusian judges, investigators, journalists and law enforcers.

Earlier, the EU imposed sectoral sanctions on a number of Belarusian exports. Direct and indirect imports of wood products, timber, cement, and cement products, iron, steel and rubber products have been banned since June 4, 2022.

In June 2021, the EU curtailed trade in Belarusian petroleum products and potash fertilizers.

On Thursday, the Council of the EU approved an expansion of anti-Belarusian sanctions until these are aligned with the regime of anti-Russian ones.

"The measures expand the ban on exports to Belarus to a number of highly sensitive goods and technologies which contribute to Belarus's military and technological enhancement," the European Commission said in a statement.

The measures also include an additional ban on the export of firearms and munitions and goods and technologies suitable for use in aviation and the space industry.