The United Kingdom has announced a new package of 31 sanctions measures against Russia, targeting sources of funding for Putin’s war, including vessels from the so-called LNG “shadow fleet,” propagandists, and individuals involved in the torture of civilians and the forced ideological indoctrination of children. This was reported by the British Foreign Office on October 1, UNN writes.
Details
London said the new sanctions package is intended to restrict funding for Russian aggression against Ukraine, undermine disinformation networks, and hold accountable those responsible for torturing Ukrainian civilians and deporting Ukrainian children.
“Following the sham elections held earlier this month in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the United Kingdom is taking decisive action against individuals and organizations that undermined Ukraine’s territorial integrity and were involved in human rights abuses,” the statement said.
Who has been sanctioned
According to reports, those sanctioned include:
- eight individuals involved in the arbitrary detention, torture, and cruel treatment of Ukrainian civilians. These crimes are part of a broader system of repression in the territories occupied by Russia, where Ukrainian civilians are also subjected to enforced disappearances and denied access to justice;
- seven more people have been added to the sanctions list for their involvement in the ideological indoctrination and militarization of Ukrainian children, including those deported by the Russian authorities. An estimated 6,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred to a network of infamous so-called “re-education” camps. Millions of Ukrainian children living in territories under Russian occupation are exposed to Kremlin propaganda programs;
- in addition, the Russian authorities are attempting to create a new dangerous “shadow fleet” to circumvent sanctions and preserve revenues from gas exports. Several vessels acquired to support these efforts are subject to today’s sanctions, including vessels commissioned only in July this year. By imposing sanctions on these vessels, the United Kingdom is increasing pressure on a sector that the Russian authorities regard as one of the key sources of future revenues;
- today’s sanctions package affects seven individuals, including four Georgian citizens involved in spreading disinformation from the Russian regime, ranging from attempts to legitimize Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories to working in Russian-appointed authorities in the occupied territory of South Ossetia.
Overall, the sanctions package includes 23 individuals and legal entities, as well as eight vessels.
Sanctions involving asset freezes, restrictions on the provision of trust services, and bans on serving as company directors are being imposed on the 23 individuals and legal entities. Individuals will also be banned from entering the United Kingdom. Shipping and trade restrictions are being imposed on the eight vessels. The sanctions apply to three “shadow fleet” vessels, two vessels that provided them with bunkering services, and three Russian ice-class vessels.