A year after imposing sanctions on 18 Ukrainian public figures over suspicion of embezzlement, the European Union (EU) has extended the sanctions on three of them, according to the Official Journal of the EU.

The sanctions target Olena Lukash, former minister of justice, Dmytro Tabachnyk, former education and science minister, and Serhiy Klyuyev, businessman and brother of ex-chief-of-staff for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The three Ukrainians, suspected of enjoying widespread favor under the former administration, are "persons subject to investigation by the Ukrainian authorities for involvement in the misappropriation of public funds," according to the journal.

Viktor Yanukovych, son of the former president and one of the figures targeted by the sanctions, was removed from the list after drowning earlier this year.

'Freezing and recovery of assets'

The restrictive measures were first implemented in June 2014 after the Council of the European Union approved the sanctions.

The 2014 regulation also decried the "use of violence" in Ukraine, adding that the council agreed to "focus on restrictive measures on the freezing and recovery of assets of persons identified as responsible for the misappropriation of Ukrainian State funds and persons responsible for human rights violations in Ukraine."

Sanctions against the two former ministers will be extended until March 6, 2016 while Klyuyev's will be applied until October 6, 2015. The remaining 14 figures, including the former president, will be targeted by the sanctions until June 6.