EU reportedly agrees major expansion of Russia sanctions blacklist

EU member states agreed Wednesday to place more than 1,600 additional individuals and organizations under sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine, Euronews reported.

The agreement reached by EU ambassadors would add 743 people and 826 entities to the bloc's blacklist over their alleged role in supporting Russia's war.

Another 77 lawmakers are set to face restrictions after standing in September's State Duma election in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, according to the report.

The decision followed weeks of negotiations and legal checks and is due to receive formal approval from EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.

Those designated will face asset freezes and travel restrictions, while EU individuals and companies will be barred from making funds available to them, according to the report.

The agreement comes as European governments confront a series of suspected hybrid attacks which they attributed to Russia.

Brussels is also considering further designations following a drone incident at Leipzig airport in Germany.

The latest expansion will bring the total number of names in the EU's Russia-related sanctions list to nearly 4,650, according to the report.