Russia bans 29 British journalists, along with defence figures

Russia has banned dozens of British journalists, media representatives and defence figures from entering the country, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a move that Moscow said was a response to Western sanctions and the "spreading of false information about Russia", 29 journalists and members of British media organisations such as the BBC, the broadcaster Sky News and the Guardian and Times newspapers were personally banned.

Another 20 British figures who Moscow said were linked to the defence industry were also banned from entering Russia.

"The British journalists included in the list are involved in the deliberate dissemination of false and one-sided information about Russia and events in Ukraine and Donbas," the ministry said in a statement.

"With their biased assessments, they also contribute to fuelling Russophobia in British society."

The list includes high-profile journalists, news anchors, editors and senior managers, including the editors-in-chief of the Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent and Guardian newspapers.

The foreign ministry also issued entry bans to 20 figures it said were associated with the British defence industry and were therefore responsible for supplying Western arms to Ukraine.

They included Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Benjamin Key, junior defence minister Jeremy Quin, and senior figures at the defence and aerospace firms BAE Systems and Thales UK.

"It's sad, but not entirely surprising," said Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russia who was among those banned.