UK unveils 65 new sanctions on Russian firms, oligarchs

London, Mar 24 (EFE).- The United Kingdom on Thursday slapped a new package of sanctions on 65 Russian businesses, oligarchs and politicians, including Polina Kovaleva, the London property-owning stepdaughter of foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

With its latest barrage of sanctions, the British government said it had targeted firms supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including Russian Railways, and defense company Kronshtadt, which manufactures drones.

The government added in a statement that it had sanctioned the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization allegedly tasked with assassinating Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Sanctions were also applied to Alfa Bank and diamond producer Alrosa while individual sanctions hit oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, Tinkoff bank founder Oleg Tinkov, Sberbank CEO Herman Gref, and Lavrov’s stepdaughter Kovaleva, who reportedly owns London property valued at 4 million pounds ($5.2m).

Galina Danilchenko, the Russian collaborator installed as the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, was also sanctioned.

UK foreign secretary Liz Truss said in a statement: “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.”EFE

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