Britain slaps new sanctions on Russia

Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced on Friday a new package of Russia sanctions, including export bans on every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield to date.

That’s according to Ukrinform, referring to the British Government press service.

Included in the hundreds of goods are aircraft parts, radio equipment, and electronic components that can be used by the Russian military industrial complex, including in the production of UAVs. Alongside banning exports of products found used by Russia on the battlefield, the UK will also ban the import of 140 goods including iron and steel products processed in third countries.

Military intelligence has shown that a shortage of components in Russia as a result of sanctions is already likely affecting their ability to produce equipment for export, such as armored vehicles, attack helicopters and air defense systems, according to the statement.

Read also: EU probing rising exports of sanctioned goods toward Russia's neighbors

The latest measures “will damage them further, undermining Putin’s military machine which is already having to mobilise soviet-era tanks and harvest freezers for low-grade chips.”

“Today we are sanctioning the elites who run Putin’s key industries and committing to prohibit the export to Russia of every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.

Also sanctioned are senior executives at Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom, plus executives from Russia’s two largest defense companies, four banks, and other Russian elites.

On the updated sanction list are 34 executives connected to Russia’s two largest defense companies Rostec, Russia’s multibillion state owned defense conglomerate, and Almaz-Antey Corporation, a state owned Russian company specializing in producing surface to air missiles and firearms for aircrafts.

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Five senior Iranian executives in Qods Aviation Industry, the company manufacturing the drones used in Ukraine, which demonstrates our commitment to continue to pressure third countries supplying Russia’s military, have also been sanctioned.

Today’s measures also increase pressure on the Russian elite. This includes sanctions on:

Mattias Warnig – a close friend of Putin’s, the CEO of Nord Stream 2, and previously a member of the boards of Russian energy companies Transneft and Rosneft

Lyubov Kabaeva - mother of former Russian gymnast and Duma Deputy Alina Kabaeva who allegedly has a close personal relationship with Putin. The Kabaeva family reportedly own millions of pounds’ worth of property in Russia

Alexei Dyumin - formerly Putin’s chief security guard who played a key role in the annexation of Crimea. Dyumin has been actively involved in supporting the Russian military in Ukraine, including launching and facilitating a drone training school for Russian troops

Alexei Kozak, son of the former Deputy PM and Putin ally Dmitry Kozak

The list now also includes 20 executives of Gazprom and Aeroflot, including Gazprom Chairman and former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and two current Russian Ministers.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on this day a year ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.