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By Steve Holland and Elizabeth Piper WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on some of Russia's biggest firms for the first time, striking at the heart of Vladimir Putin's powerbase by targeting companies closest to him over Moscow's failure to curb violence in Ukraine. After months of measures that hit only individuals and smaller firms, Washington imposed sanctions on Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft, its second largest gas producer Novatek and its third largest bank Gazprombank. Moscow denounced what it called primitive revenge for events in Ukraine and pledged to retaliate.More...