[Nicoleise]

Originally Posted by Biodome

What's even the official reasoning behind this, if it doesn't target Russia, but, rather, causes problems just for Crimeans alone? Or did they remove services just for fear of instability regarding the region?

You'd have to dig through a lot of really boring documents to attempt to find a reasonable answer to that question, I fear. They are sanctions though, so they are not implemented out of fear of instability, but rather as punishment.

The EU had this to say, when they extended the sanctions till July 2018 (my emphasis):

On 19 June 2017, the Council extended the restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia until 23 June 2018.

The measures apply to EU persons and EU based companies. They are limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol. The sanctions include prohibitions on:

• imports of products originating in Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU;
• investment in Crimea or Sevastopol, meaning that no Europeans nor EU-based companies can buy real estate or entities in Crimea, finance Crimean companies or supply related services;
• tourism services in Crimea or Sevastopol, in particular, European cruise ships cannot call at ports in the Crimean peninsula, except in case of emergency;
• exports of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies or for use in Crimea in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors and related to the prospection, exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources. Technical assistance, brokering, construction or engineering services related to infrastructure in these sectors must not be provided either.

As stated in the declaration by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the EU on 17 March 2017, the EU continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and remains committed to fully implement its non-recognition policy.

Link: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/pr...nds-sanctions/

You'll probably note the complete absense of any reasoning or justification. At the bottom of the page, they placed a link reading "Is there something wrong with this page?" and I'm tempted to click it and write "IT EXPLAINS NOTHING!!!"