The United States on Tuesday expanded its list of Russian individuals and entities sanctioned over the Ukraine conflict in an effort to push Russia to enforce a ceasefire deal clinched earlier this year in Minsk.
"It is critical that Russia takes the steps necessary to comply with its obligations under the Minsk agreements and to ensure a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine," the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said on its website.
"We are once again demonstrating the United States' unwavering resolve to pressure Russia to respect the security and sovereignty of Ukraine," the statement added.
Thirty-four names were blacklisted, including individuals and entities that have helped others evade sanctions or are majority-owned by sanctioned entities such as state banks VTB and Sberbank, as well as state defence corporation Rostec.
The newly sanctioned entities include the banking chain VTB 24, Sberbank Europe and Sberbank Switzerland, as well as the PayPal-like money transfer service Yandex.Money, which is linked to Sberbank.
The sanctions also include six pro-Russian separatists and two former Ukrainian officials close to Ukraine's ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych.
Ukraine ousted Yanukovych last year amid mass protests calling for closer ties with the West.
Russia subsequently annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea region and supported a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Ukraine's two eastern-most regions.
Russia has repeatedly denied allegations that it has provided troops and weapons to the separatists. Russia has said it is using its influence over the rebels to pursue peace.
More than 8,000 have died in the conflict, according to estimates by the United Nations.
