Ottawa: Canada on Monday slapped fresh sanctions on a dozen Russians and Ukrainian separatists after a referendum in east Ukraine that called for the region to break away from Kiev.
"Today, we are announcing sanctions against an additional six Russian and six Ukrainian individuals who have facilitated Russia`s violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.
The head of the Russian military, the acting governor of Sevastopol, Russian lawmakers and several Ukrainian separatist leaders were targeted by the sanctions, which overlap with US and EU measures.
Canada, which has the world`s third-largest population of ethnic Ukrainians, was the first Western power to recognize Ukraine`s independence in 1991.
In response to Russia`s seizure of Crimea in March, Ottawa announced sanctions against Russian officials it said bore responsibility for the crisis.
A month later, it expanded sanctions to include Russian President Vladimir Putin`s first deputy chief, members of the Duma, Crimean officials, two Russian businessmen and two Russian banks.
