European Union extends Russian asset freezes over Ukraine

(R-L, clockwise) French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attend a meeting in Paris, France, October 2, 2015. REUTERS/RIA Novosti/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments extended on Thursday sanctions on Russians and Ukrainians targeted in 2014 over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, keeping asset freezes and travel bans in place until mid-September.

The 28-member bloc said in a statement that 146 people, including Russian-backed former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich, and 37 companies would remain under sanctions.