The UK has announced 31 new sanctions targeting Russia’s war chest, propagandists and people involved in the torture of Ukrainian civilians, the Foreign Office said. The new sanctions are a hammerblow to Vladimir Putin’s war machine as Russia ramps up its strikes on Ukraine.
Around 23 individuals and entities will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, while eight ships linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” will be subject to trade sanctions. Minister for Europe Lord Wood of Anfield said: “We are targeting both the revenues that help sustain Russia’s aggression and perpetrators of horrendous crimes against Ukrainian civilians, including children. The UK will not flinch in our support for Ukraine.”
The measures are intended to sustain economic pressure on Moscow ahead of the winter months, a period that has repeatedly seen an intensification of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The sanctions also target seven people “for their role in the indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, including those deported by the Russian authorities”, and eight involved in the “arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian civilians”, the Foreign Office said.
The Foreign Office said that about 6,000 Ukrainian children to date had been placed in “heinous” camps established for the purpose of “re-education”.
It added: “Millions more Ukrainian children living under Russian occupation are subjected to Kremlin propaganda programmes. These include training in weapons handling and drone operation and are designed to strip children of their Ukrainian identity while preparing them to serve the very state attacking their homeland.
“In addition, the Russian state is attempting to build a dangerous new ‘shadow fleet’ to circumvent sanctions and sustain revenues from its gas exports.
“Today’s package targets several vessels acquired to support that effort, including some that entered service as recently as July this year. By targeting these ships, the UK is increasing pressure on a sector the Russian state sees as critical to its future revenues.”
The Foreign Office said the latest sanctions also target a number of vessels acquired to support Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, which is used to bypass existing restrictions and generate revenue for Moscow’s war effort through gas exports.
Some of the ships joined the fleet as recently as July, highlighting ongoing efforts to evade international sanctions.
The people sanctioned are also banned from travelling to the UK.