UK sanctions dozens more Russians including Wagner mercenary group, Abramovich ally

Britain slapped sanctions Thursday on 59 more Russian individuals and entities, as well as six Belarusian enterprises over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting a shadowy mercenary firm and the world’s largest diamond producer.

The latest measures, against a range of key strategic industries and people, takes to more than 1,000 the number of Russian and Belarusian individuals and businesses sanctioned by London in recent weeks.

Those now include the billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, who has close ties to Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Others targeted were Tinkoff bank founder Oleg Tinkov, Sberbank chief executive Herman Gref, and Polina Kovaleva, said to be the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Galina Danilchenko, installed by Moscow as mayor of the Ukrainian city Melitopol, became the first person sanctioned by London for collaboration with Russian forces currently in Ukraine.

Britain also targeted six more banks, Russian Railways, the defense company Kronshtadt — the main producer of Russian drones — and diamond giant Alrosa, according to the foreign ministry.

Russia has been hit with 65 new sanctions by the UK, including best friend and a partner of Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich – Eugene Shvidler (Guardian) #CFC pic.twitter.com/sVuVaCPmQs

— ChelsTransfer (@ChelsTransfer) March 24, 2022

The Wagner Group, an organization of Russian mercenaries that has been active in the Kremlin’s other recent conflict zones and has reportedly been tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was also sanctioned. The group has been faced multiple accusations of carrying out crimes and atrocities around the world.

Wagner has been linked to a powerful ally of President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

“These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement announcing the new package of penalties.

“Putin should be under no illusions — we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine,” she added.

Kovaleva studied in Britain and now lives in a £4 million ($5.2 million) house in London, the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported.

All those sanctioned will see their British assets frozen, meaning no UK citizen or company can do business with them, while individuals are subject to travel bans prohibiting them from traveling to or from Britain.

The latest measures will bring the total global asset value of the banks the UK has sanctioned since the invasion to £500 billion ($660 billion, 600 billion euros), the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said.

The net worth of oligarchs and family members targeted totals more than £150 billion, it added.

The announcement comes as Western leaders gather for emergency NATO and G7 summits in Brussels, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson will commit to a new military aid package to help Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces.

Last week, the European Union updated a list of individuals facing asset freezes and travel bans over their ties to the Kremlin and began imposing sanctions on Abramovich. The 55-year-old had already been sanctioned in Britain.

While the EU and UK have both moved forward with sanctions against Abramovich, freezing his assets in their jurisdiction, which include London’s Chelsea Football Club, the US has thus far refrained from following suit.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Zelensky asked US President Joe Biden to leave Abramovich off Washington’s sanctions list in the hopes that the oligarch would be able to help mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.