UK announces new sanctions on Russia targeting shadow fleet, propagandists and torturers

Ulyana Krychkovska-Bogdanova, STANISLAV POHORILOV - 1 October, 13:15

Stock photo: Getty Images

The UK Foreign Office has announced a new package of sanctions against Russia. The measures come as Russia launched more than 3,000 jet-powered drones against Ukraine in September.

Source: a press release by the UK government, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The 31 new measures impose sanctions on shadow fleet vessels used to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG), Kremlin disinformation networks and individuals involved in the torture of civilians and the ideological indoctrination of children.

The Foreign Office said that following the "elections" held in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories earlier this month, the UK has decided to take action against individuals and organisations found to have undermined Ukraine's territorial integrity through human rights abuses.

They include eight individuals "involved in the arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian civilians".

Another seven individuals have been sanctioned for their role in the indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children.

The press release also stressed that the Russian state is seeking to create a new shadow fleet to evade sanctions and maintain revenues from gas exports. The package therefore targets several vessels acquired to support these efforts, including some that only entered service in July this year.

The press release also noted that Russia continues to "wage a disinformation war across the world", using a network of anonymous online bot and troll farms to undermine democratic processes and spread disinformation.

The sanctions package therefore also targets seven individuals, including four Georgian nationals, "involved in spreading pro-Kremlin disinformation".

Background:

In early September, the UK fined the London branch of US bank Citibank £4.7 million (US$6.35 million) for breaching sanctions against Russia.
On 25 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham had assured him that there were no plans to lift British sanctions against Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.

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