MOSCOW, December 11 (RAPSI) - Russian businessman Arkady Rotenberg has withdrawn one of two suits he filed with the European Court of Justice challenging his EU visa ban and assets freeze over the Ukrainian crisis, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday, citing a spokesperson for the court.

The first EU sanctions list was made public last March. Since then it has encompassed 132 individuals and 28 Russian companies, including officials and businessmen as well as leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics. Aside from individual sanctions, the EU imposed sector-specific sanctions against Russia that have negatively affected major Russian financial institutions and major companies.

Rosneft, the state-run oil company, was among the first to file a case against the EU’s European Council on October 9. The company is seeking to dismiss the council’s July 31 decision that introduced restrictive measures against it, other Russian energy companies and state banks.

Rotenberg, a co-owner and board chairman of SMP Bank, was added to the EU sanctions list on July 30.