Brussels, February 23: European Union sanctions against Russia have come into effect. They are the first steps in a planned series of retaliatory measures devised to be cranked up if Russian President Vladimir Putin orders an attack or pushes his troops deeper into Ukraine.

The sanctions that took effect Wednesday targeted senior Russian government officials, several companies and hundreds of lawmakers who voted in favour of recognising the independence of separatist parts of southeast Ukraine. The sanctions are mostly a freeze on the assets of those listed and a ban on them travelling in the 27-nation EU.  Russia Evacuates Embassy in Ukraine As Crisis Escalates.

The measures come on top of a slew of economic and other sanctions slapped on Russia since it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Those sanctions already targeted Russia's financial, energy and defence sectors, as well as goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. (AP)