Canada slaps new sanctions on Russian biker gang over Ukraine

Canada announced Monday fresh sanctions on Russia over its support for rebels in Ukraine, targeting youth leaders, the pro-Moscow Night Wolves motorcycle club and several companies, AFP reports.

Ottawa imposed a ban on the import and export of goods from Crimea in this 15th round of penalties in collaboration with allies.

"Until there is real peace, until occupying forces are withdrawn, and until Ukraine's territorial sovereignty is restored, there must be ongoing consequences for President Putin's regime," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement.

Members of the Night Wolves rode down en masse to Ukraine's Crimea peninsula just after it was annexed by Russia in March 2014 and members have also fought with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The biker group started up in 1989 just before the fall of the Soviet Union and has around 5,000 members across the former USSR. 

Also listed was the Eurasian Youth Union, a nationalist Russian group said to recruit fighters to join the rebels, subsidiaries of defense company Rostec, an aircraft manufacturer and several energy sector firms including Gazprom.