The European Union imposed new sanctions Monday on five Russian individuals involved in elections concerning the annexed Ukraine Crimean peninsula in September 2021. With the new sanctions in place, the EU has now issued a total of 241 sanctions against persons and entities involved in attacks on Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.

The existing EU sanction framework was established in March 2014 when Russian forces invaded and annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. At the time, the EU declared the move a “clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces.” Tensions between the EU and Russia have only worsened since then, resulting in an increasing number of sanctions.

Monday’s sanctions deal with five individuals responsible for elections of members to represent the annexed Crimean peninsula within the Russian Duma. Three of the individuals are newly elected Russia Duma representatives for the Crimean peninsula and the City of Sevastopol. The other two individuals are the head and deputy head of the Sevastopol electoral commission. The elections took place on September 19, 2021.

The new sanctions impose an asset freeze and travel ban on all five individuals. This means that sanctioned individuals are prohibited from accessing EU funds and are no longer able to enter or travel through EU territories.

The EU has long refused to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol as legitimate. In a statement regarding the new sanctions, the EU again emphasized this point and doubled down on their commitment to Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.