Restrictive measures include seizure of assets and a ban on entry into the United Kingdom
The UK government on Thursday imposed sanctions on six Russians, including the First Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Sergei Kirienko, and the FSB Director, Alexander Bortnikov. As indicated on the sanctions list published on the UK Foreign Office website, restrictive measures against Russian officials include seizure of assets and a ban on entry into the UK.
“Together with our international partners, we impose sanctions on those responsible for Alexei Navalny’s poisoning. The use of chemical weapons by the Russian state is a violation of international law. We intend to hold those responsible to account”, – said Dominique Raab, Head of the British Foreign Office, whose statement was distributed by the press service of the Forin Office.
In addition to Kirienko and Bortnikov, British restrictive measures also apply to Andrey Yarin, Head of the Russian President’s Domestic Policy Department, Alexei Krivoruchko and Pavel Popov, Deputy Ministers of Defence, and Sergei Menyailo, Russian President’s Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Siberian Federal District. The sanctions list also includes the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT), with which British companies are prohibited from maintaining any relations.
The British sanctions are similar to the measures introduced earlier on Thursday by the European Union. The Kingdom’s Foreign Office notes that “the freezing of assets and entry restrictions will be a significant punishment for Russia’s reckless and malicious behaviour”. It also said in a statement that London, like its partners, sees “no credible explanation for Navalny poisoning other than that Russia is responsible for it”, which “must conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the poisoning of one of its citizens on its territory using prohibited chemical weapons”.