EU poised to announce toughest sanctions on Russia over Ukraine

Russia's defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, the commanders-in-chief of the Russian Air Force and Black Sea Fleet, leading state "propagandists" - as well as 351 Duma deputies - are expected to be targeted in EU sanctions announced later on Wednesday.

The measures, which have to be signed off by EU foreign ministers, would go further than those announced by the US - and well beyond Boris Johnson's Russia sanctions, report Guardian.

If approved, the EU will impose asset freezes and travel bans on 23 people, three banks and a notorious internet 'troll factory' in St Petersburg, in response to Russian president Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise the self-proclaimed republics in Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. The bloc is also expected to sanction 351 members of the Russian state Duma that voted for recognition of the two territories.

The Russian government will also see further restrictions on its ability to raise money on EU financial markets. EU officials are also drawing up measures to ban trade between the two Russian-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine, mirroring earlier sanctions on Crimea in 2014.

"Everyone seems on board for the adoption of sanctions," an EU diplomat said. EU capitals have a few hours to send comments, with ministers expected to approve the sanctions at 3pm CET.

At the top of the sanctions list is Shoigu, because he is "ultimately responsible for any military action against Ukraine", according to the draft list seen by the Guardian. He is joined by Anton Vaino, Putin's chief of staff, who "plays an active role in decision making", as well as Igor Osipov, commander-in-chief of the Black Sea Fleet, and Sergei Surovikin, commander-in-chief of Russian Aerospace Forces.

Other top officials include deputy prime minister and chair of state-owned VTB bank, Dmitry Grigorenko, and Igor Shuvalov, chair of Russia's state development bank, VEB, which plays an important role in funding its defence sector.

The EU is also targeting Russian "propagandists", including foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, and the head of the RT channel, Margarita Simonyan, both of whom are known for their strident anti-western rhetoric. Vladimir Solovyov, the pro-Kremlin presenter of the Russia One channel, also makes the list.

Other notable figures include Yevgeniy Prigozhin. Known as Putin's chef, Prigozhin finances the Internet Research Agency (IRA), which has also been added to the EU sanctions list. Based in St Petersburg, the IRA is better known as the "troll factory" , where bloggers work around the clock to flood the global internet with pro-Putin and anti-western views. According to US sanctions, Prigozhin is also believed to be the "manager and financier" of the Wagner mercenary group, which is already subject to EU sanctions for its role in sending forces into conflicts in west Africa.

Prigozhin's mother and wife, who own companies with links to him, are also on the draft list.

The sanctioned banks are Bank Rossiya, believed by EU and western officials to be the personal bank for Putin and many of his officials, as well as Promsvyazbank and Vnesheconombank, both considered by EU officials to be instructed personally by the Russian president, with a key role in financing Russia's defence sector.

EU leaders have signalled further sanctions could follow in the coming days. "Expect some more discussions on the broader big bang sanctions package later this week," said the EU official.