Taoiseach: Sanctions 'will impact' EU citizens and Russia

Firemen extinguish a fire inside a residential building that was hit by a missile today in Kyiv, Ukraine. Mr Martin said that Vladimir Putin has targeted the return of a Russian empire and said that what he is doing is "reckless, irresponsible and morally wrong". Photo: Pierre Crom/Getty Images

The sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU are the "largest and most severe" ever adopted, the Taoiseach has said.

The sanctions include five pillars relating to the financial sector, energy and transport sectors, a limitation on visas for Russian diplomats and service personnel, EU-wide export controls on goods from the EU’s tech sector that support the Russian economy. They also target individuals in Belarus.