European Union slaps sanctions on Putin's two adult daughters

• Putin's two adult daughters have been sanctioned by the European Union.
• Maria Vorontsova and Ekaterina Tikhonova had previously been sanctioned by the US.

The European Union announced a sweeping fifth round of sanctions on Friday, targeting the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and hundreds of others.

Putin's daughters Maria Vorontsova, a medical researcher, and Ekaterina Tikhonova, a gymnast, were named by the EU in the latest round of sanctions.

"We are not targeting ordinary Russian people," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. "We are targeting the Kremlin, the political and economic elites supporting Putin's war in Ukraine."

He added: "The aim of our sanctions is to stop the reckless, inhuman, and aggressive behavior of the Russian troops and make clear to the decision makers in the Kremlin that their illegal aggression comes at a heavy cost."

The US had slapped sanctions on Putin's adult daughters on Wednesday.

"These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people," the White House said in a press release. "Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putin's war on Ukraine."

"This action cuts them off from the US financial system and freezes any assets they hold in the United States."

The latest penalties come after hundreds of civilians were found dead last weekend in Bucha after Ukrainian forces captured the city from retreating Russian troops who had occupied it for weeks. On Friday, Putin's forces attacked a train station in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 50 fleeing civilians and wounding dozens of others.

Two hundred and seventeen other individuals were also sanctioned by the EU, including Russian oligarchs, high-ranking Kremlin officials, prominent businesspeople, and proponents of Russian propaganda.

Four major Russian banks and companies that provide defense technology to Russian forces were also hit with sanctions.

The US and its allies have been sanctioning Russia — from restricting international travel to seizing superyachts belonging to Russian oligarchs — in a bid to cripple the country's economy in the wake of its invasion in Ukraine in late February.

Despite the waves of widespread Western sanctions, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia's financial system has "withstood" the "sanctions storm," according to a translation by NBC News.

"Unfriendly countries have not come up with anything better than to return to the typical pirate practice," the Russian prime minister said. "By freezing assets, they actually robbed the country."