Moscow imposes sanctions on 13 top British officials, including Boris Johnson

MOSCOW

Russia on Saturday announced retaliatory sanctions on 13 current and former UK officials, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

Moscow banned top several other Cabinet members and politicians from entering Russia over "unprecedented hostile action by the British Government, in particular the imposition of sanctions against senior Russian officials" for the war on Ukraine, said a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

“This step was taken in response to London’s unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for controlling our country and strangling the domestic economy,” the ministry said.

Accusing the UK of deliberately aggravating the situation in Ukraine by sending deadly weapons and coordinating similar efforts in NATO, It said London's provocations forced not only its Western allies, but also other countries to impose large-scale anti-Russian sanctions.

Moscow's entry blacklist also includes Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, former Prime Minister Theresa May, and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Russia's war on Ukraine has met international condemnations, with the US, UK, and EU, among others, imposing a host of sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,982 civilians have been killed and 2,651 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be much higher.

More than 4.6 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan