European Union targets Russian officers in new sanctions

The European Union says it has targeted Russian military officers linked to atrocities in Ukraine in its latest round of sanctions, including top brass accused of war crimes in Bucha and the siege of Mariupol. The EU froze the assets of 65 people and imposed travel bans on them.

The bloc has now targeted almost 1,160 people, including President Vladimir Putin, pro-Kremlin oligarchs and other top officials over Russia's actions in Ukraine since 2014.

The EU said Friday that Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov and Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, known as the Butcher of Mariupol,' were among those on the list.


It said Omurbekov "was leading the actions of his military unit and nicknamed the Butcher of Bucha' due to his direct responsibility in killings, rapes and torture in Bucha," on the outskirts of Kyiv.

It accused Mizintsev "of orchestrating the bombardments of the city of Mariupol, killing thousands of civilians, including the shelling of a Mariupol maternity hospital and a theatre, killing hundreds of children."

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said "there can be no impunity for war crimes." (AP)