Russia bans EU exports amid Ukraine sanctions

Russia has banned large quantities of Latvian powdered milk and fish from crossing its border, citing 'quality deficiencies.'

A 20-ton shipment of powdered milk was halted on the Latvia-Russia border today, Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor said.

''Microbiological deficiencies'' were also discovered in a shipment of canned sprats from Latvia. A 15.5 ton shipment of sprats have been taken to a temporary storage facility in Pskov.

Meanwhile, a 55.5 ton rail shipment of fish products from Latvia and Iceland was barred from entering Russia from Latvia today.

Latvian products are not the only ones being turned away at the Russia border. A shipment of grain from Belgium was halted on the Estonia- Russia border whilst Polish vegetables and fruit have all been turned away.

The European Union formally adopted broad economic sanctions against Russia on Thursday, aiming to make it pay a price over the Ukraine crisis in the hope Moscow would reverse course.

The new measures agreed earlier this week target Russia's banking, defense and energy sectors in view of its "actions destabilizing the situation in eastern Ukraine," an EU statement said.