EU bans most Russian oil, sanctions alleged Putin girlfriend

BRUSSELS: The EU formally adopted a ban on most Russian oil imports on Friday, hitting Moscow with its toughest sanctions over the war on Ukraine after weeks of wrangling with Hungary.

The sanctions -- the sixth wave imposed by the 27-nation bloc since the

Kremlin

launched the invasion in February -- include cutting Russia's biggest bank

Sberbank

from the global SWIFT messaging system, the text published in the EU's official journal said.

President Vladimir Putin's alleged girlfriend, former gymnast Alina Kabaeva, was also added to an assets freeze and visa ban blacklist, along with Russian army personnel suspected of war crimes in the Ukrainian town of

Bucha

.