Zelensky’s visit: UK sanctions six Russian weapons makers and eight members of country’s ‘elite’
The UK government has sanctioned six Russian weapons makers and a further eight members of the country’s “elite” following Volodymyr Zelensky’s first visit to Britain since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly said the new sanctions work to undermine Putin’s “war machine” as he vowed to block Russia from accessing the frozen assets until it ends the war in Ukraine.
Cleverly said the new sanctions would “accelerate the economic pressure on Putin” as he said Britain “must increase” its support for Ukraine.
The new sanctions come as Zelensky today arrived in Britain to meet prime minister Rishi Sunak with a view to discussing a “two-pronged approach” to the UK’s support for Ukraine.
The approach will see Britain send an “immediate surge of military equipment” to help Ukraine “counter Russia’s spring offensive” with a view to reinforcing the country’s war efforts with “long-term support”.
The new sanctions target six firms linked to Russia’s military including drone maker CST, helicopter part manufacturer RT-Komplekt, and flight data processing company Topaz.
The UK also hit eight high-profile Russians with sanctions including politicians, businessmen, and others with personal connections to Putin himself.
The newly sanctioned individuals include a millionaire business woman – Svetlana Krivonogikh – who is alleged to have had a secret lovechild with Putin in 2003, an investigation by Russian outlet Proekt shows.
Boris Titov, the founder of centre right political party Right Cause, following claims he was awarded a position in the Kremlin after buying 740 acres of vineyards on Putin’s private Black Sea estate.
Three other individuals with links to Putin’s palace, including Sergey Rudnov, the owner of pro-Kremlin news outlet Regum, aerospace company owner Viktor Myachin, and Nikolay Egorov, the former chair of Russia’s largest privately owned oil refinery, were also sanctioned.
Pharmaceutical company chairman Alexey Repik, ex-presidential aide Evgeny Shkolov, and Boris Titov’s son Pavel Titov, also saw sanctions imposed on them as part of the UK’s new package.