Austria to freeze assets of 18 Ukrainians - foreign ministry

Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz is pictured during an interview with Reuters in Vienna January 17, 2014. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria will freeze the bank accounts of 18 Ukrainians following a request from Ukraine's foreign ministry and pending possible European Union sanctions, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

"Austria has decided to freeze possible bank accounts and assets of 18 Ukrainian citizens in Austria. This has been done on the basis of an official request by the Ukrainian foreign ministry," the ministry said.