The United Kingdom unveiled 26 new sanctions against Russian entities and individuals on Thursday. In a statement, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said that the sanctions are designed to target defense companies, organizations, and individuals connected to the defense and weapons industries.
“Today’s new wave of sanctions hits the generals and defence companies that have blood on their hands,” Truss said.
In a statement on the British government’s website, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said that the sanctions “target both the Generals committing atrocities on the front line, as well as individuals and businesses supporting Putin’s military.”
The British government also revealed that intelligence suggests an intentional bombing of critical and civilian infrastructure in Mariupol. It follows a multitude of missile strikes against civilian buildings and hospitals in major Ukrainian population centers.
Who the Sanctions Target
Among the Russian army’s leaders targeted by the sanctions were Lt Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, a Commanding Officer in the Russian Army connected to the massacre in Bucha, and Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, the Commander of the Airborne Forces. Sanctions were also levied against Colonel General Nikolay Bogdanovsky, the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, and Major General Valery Flyustikov, the Commander of the Special Operations Forces.
The United Kingdom also fast-tracked an additional 19 sanctions against individuals and Russian entities that were in place but pending. The sanctions are designed to inflict damage on Russia’s military capabilities. Those facing fast-tracked sanctions include the First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Sergei Borisovich Korolyov, and a series of Russian transport and military companies.
The United Kingdom, like the United States, is continually adding to its list of sanctions on individuals and entities – including an additional 206 designations on April 13. The latest round brings that number to at least 232.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
