On Wednesday, the British government announced a new package of sanctions targeting officials who oversaw Russia’s military mobilization.
The British government said, in a statement on its website, that the Foreign Office announced a new package of 22 sanctions targeting “officials who promoted and enforced the recruitment of citizens to fight in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
The statement added that the sanctions list includes Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who is responsible for overseeing the arms industry and for preparing the mobilization of forces.
He stated that sanctions were also imposed on 10 leaders of republics belonging to Russia, including the presidents of Dagestan, Ingushetia and Kalmykia, one of the poorest republics in Russia, from which a large number of recruits were mobilized.
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The statement pointed out that, last July, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 29 regional governors from all over Russia because of their support for the two separatist regions in Ukraine.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was quoted as saying that the Russian regime’s decision to partially mobilize its citizens was a desperate attempt to overwhelm the brave Ukrainians who were defending their lands, adding that that attempt had failed.
“Today we sanctioned the individuals who imposed this conscription, sending thousands of Russian citizens to fight in (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s illegal, hateful war,” he said.
He went on to say that the UK will continue to use sanctions and military aid to support Ukraine in defending its independence.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, which was followed by international rejection and economic sanctions on Moscow, which requires Kyiv to abandon plans to join military entities to end its operation, which the latter considers an “interference” in its sovereignty.