The sanctions against Russia may increase because of religious oppression in the Crimea and Donbas

The illegal military occupation of the Crimea and supporting separatist militants in the Donbass region of Russia led to the emergence of religious persecution in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

This was stated by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its annual report, presented in Washington on April 30, 2015.

"Regarding Russia’s illegal military occupation of Crimea and its support of rebels in the Donbas, ensure that violations of freedom of religion or belief and related human rights are part of multilateral or bilateral discussions with the Russian government,
and continue to work closely with European and other allies to apply pressure through
advocacy, diplomacy, and targeted sanctions", states the report.

The full report on Russia http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Russia%202015.pdf