EU freeze's Yanukovych's assets

The EU has announced an asset freeze’s on Ukraine’s ousted President Victor Yanukovych and 17 other senior officials and family in his entourage.

They are all blamed for embezzling state funds.

The list includes Yanukovych’s son and his closest aides, including the country’s former interior minister, prosecutor general, and head of security services.

Ukraine’s ex-prime minister Mykola Azarov and his son are also targeted.

The sanctions against Yanukovych and his hierarchy come as EU leaders hold emergency talks in Brussels over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.

For the moment, it is thought unlikely they will adopt more than symbolic measures against Moscow, Europe’s biggest gas supplier, with both Berlin and London reluctant to begin sanctions just yet.