The European Union (EU) said on Wednesday it was stepping up sanctions over Russia's military operation against Ukraine, including targeting more Russian individuals and adding banks in Belarus.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was blacklisting 160 more Russian parliamentarians and oligarchs, banning exports of maritime navigation technology to Russia and was including crypto-assets under its punitive measures.

The bloc was also targeting Belarus' banking sector, she added.