MOSCOW, April 9 (RAPSI) – The EU is considering sanctions for over 100 Russians, including MPs, members of the Russian Security Council, law enforcement staff and journalists, Kommersant newspaper wrote on Wednesday.

About 130 are being considered for a list that will include 107 names. It is divided into five groups.

The first group consists of Deputy Speakers Alexander Torshin and Ilyas Umakhanov and other member of the Federation Council, all members of the State Duma Council and several other MPs, including the head of Russia’s delegation to PACE Alexei Pushkov and State Duma Defense Committee Head Vladimir Komoyedov.

The second group is made up of members of Russia’s Security Council, excluding President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The third group consists of Defense Ministry officials, the fourth group of businesspeople, and the fifth group of media employees including journalists.

The latter group includes the employees of Gazprom Media, Rossiya, Russia Today, Channel One and NTV networks. Sanctions may also be applied against popular journalists Mikhail Leontyev, Irada Zeinalova and Mikhail Gusman.

According to the daily, personal sanctions could be approved if the situation in Ukraine escalates, as a precursor to economic sanctions.

The US and EU previously imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials, including visa bans and asset freezes, in protest of Russia's support of the recent Crimean referendum, and the subsequent accession to Russian Federation

Crimea, a largely Russian-speaking republic within Ukraine, was part of Russia until it was given to Ukraine by Khrushchev in 1954. Putin said in an official address to federal and regional officials that the decision was made with clear violations of the constitutional standards at the time.

Crimea moved for independence from Ukraine after having refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new government that came to power following the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich in February.