Russia bans entry of EU citizens in retaliation

Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday that a list of EU citizens was banned from entering Russia in response to the EU's sanctions.

Local media quoted a source in the ministry as saying that the list that includes European politicians, diplomats and military experts was sent to the embassies of EU member states, while refusing to give the specific names that were on the list.

According to media reports, the list comprises 89 EU citizens, 18 of whom have Polish citizenship.

Some European countries demanded Moscow to explain why these persons were included in the list, RIA Novosti news agency quoted the source as saying.

"(The answer) is simple: it was done in response to a sanctions campaign unleashed against Russia by some EU member states, led by Germany," the source said.

He added that there is a similar list consisting of the U.S. citizens, but Washington did not ask to make it public.

The spokesperson of the EU Foreign Affairs chief Federica Mogherini later in the day confirmed the 89-name blacklist in an online official statement.

"We consider this measure as totally arbitrary and unjustified, especially in the absence of any further clarification and transparency," the statement said.

According to the statement, several EU politicians have been refused entry into Russia in the past few months, but Russian authorities didn't provide information "on legal basis", or " criteria and process of this decision."

Certain Russian individuals have been denied entry to some Western countries as part of sanction regime imposed against Moscow over its alleged interference in the Ukraine crisis, which Russia kept denying.