UK imposes 65 new Russian sanctions

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Thursday announced 65 new Russian sanctions targeting key industries and individuals aiding Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Over 1,000 individuals and businesses have already been sanctioned by the UK under the Russia sanctions regime since it invaded Ukraine. “Today’s sanctions target key industries supporting Russia’s illegal invasion, including Russian Railways and defence company Kronshtadt, the main producer of Russian drones. The Wagner Group – the organisation Russian mercenaries reportedly tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – has also been sanctioned,” the statement released by the UK government read. Six more banks have also been targeted and Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond producer, has also been sanctioned, it said. The UK said that the first time an individual has been sanctioned for aiding Russian forces.

Individuals sanctioned include the billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, founder of Tinkoff bank Oleg Tinkov, Herman Gref, the CEO of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, and Polina Kovaleva, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s step daughter. Galina Danilchenko, who was installed by Russia as the Mayor of Melitopol, is also sanctioned – the first time an individual has been sanctioned for collaboration with Russian forces currently in Ukraine. Truss said: “These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price. Putin should be under no illusions – we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine. There will be no let-up. “All those sanctioned today will have their assets in the UK frozen which means no UK citizen or company can do business with them, and individuals subject to travel bans are also prohibited from traveling to or from the UK,” Truss added. “The government will continue to tighten the screw and use sanctions to degrade the Russian economy on a scale that the Kremlin, or any major economy, has never seen before,” she said. “The UK has led the international sanctions effort, cutting off whole sectors of the Russian economy by targeting its defence companies, its trade and transport sector, and working with allies to exclude Russia from the SWIFT financial system,” Truss said.

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