Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced 65 new Russian sanctions against a range of key strategic industries and individuals.
This was reported by the Government of the United Kingdom.
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 President Zelenskyy - has also been sanctioned. “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,” the statement says.
The list of individuals and businesses sanctioned includes:
- Alfa-Bank, the largest of the private banks in Russia. It is a distinct entity to distinct from Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) which has not been sanctioned. Kateryna Rozhkova, the first deputy head of the NBU, said in an interview with LB.ua that Russian owners of Alfa-Bank should sell their shares in a Ukrainian bank after the war.
- Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond mining company specializing in exploration, mining, manufacture, and sale of diamonds.
- Eugene Markovich Shvidler, is a billionaire businessman with close business links to Roman Abramovich (designated by the UK on 10 March 2022).
- Oleg Tinkov, founder of Tinkoff Bank. His net worth is reported as an estimated £3.4 billion.
- Herman Gref, Chief Executive Officer of Sberbank, the largest Russian bank.
- Didier Casimiro, the First Vice President of Rosneft, the Russian State oil company.
- Zeljko Runje, the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and First Vice President for Oil, Gas, and Offshore Business Development of Rosneft.
- Galina Danilchenko, installed as ‘mayor’ of Melitopol by Russian authorities after their military occupied the city and kidnapped the legitimate mayor. This is the first designation by any partner country for collaboration with the Russian military in Ukraine since the invasion.
- Polina Kovaleva, stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. She reportedly owns a c.£4 million property in London. “This sends a strong signal that those benefiting from association of those responsible for Russian aggression are in scope of our sanctions”, the statement said.
The sanctions will bring the total global asset value of the banks the UK has sanctioned since the invasion to £500 billion and the net worth of the oligarchs and family members in excess of £150 billion.
Earlier, the United Kingdom froze the assets of 370 Russians and Belarusians, including Fridman, Mordashov and Vekselberg. In total, the kingdom's sanctions list includes more than 1,000 persons and legal entities.
According to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, sanctions against Russian oligarchs imposed due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine will never be lifted.