Russia says it will respond to new EU sanctions

Russia will respond to new European Union sanctions,  its foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The EU Friday added eight more Russians to its sanctions list over a standoff between Russia and Ukraine in the Azov Sea, including senior security service officials and military commanders that the EU accuses of preventing Ukrainian ships from reaching port.

The EU's announcement coincided with the fifth anniversary of the incorporation of the Crimean peninsula into Russia and was coordinated with the United States and Canada. The two countries also introduced new sanctions.

People take part in celebrations of the fifth anniversary of Russia's incorporation of Crimea in Simferopol, Crimea, March 15, 2019. /VCG Photo

"The Russian side will not leave this unfriendly action by the European Union unanswered," said the ministry in the statement, "The EU's claim that Russia 'broke international law' and used unjustified force does not correspond with reality at all," it added.

"The excuse for placing our fellow countrymen on the European Union's illegitimate sanctions lists amazes with its hypocrisy and cynicism," said the ministry, claiming that the individuals targeted were simply doing their jobs. 

The EU imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Russian officials in relation to an incident in the Azov Sea last November, when Russia opened fire and seized three Ukrainian naval ships attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait for allegedly breaching the Russian border.

The EU's decision takes the number of people blacklisted by the bloc over the crisis in Ukraine to 170, plus 44 entities.

(CGTN)