UK announces new wave of sanctions on Kremlin war chest, 'torturers'

The UK has announced a fresh wave of sanctions targeting the Kremlin's war chest, "propagandists" and people accused of involvement in the torture of Ukrainian civilians.

Some 23 individuals and entities will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, while eight ships linked to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" will be subject to trade sanctions.

The measures are aimed at maintaining economic pressure on Moscow ahead of the bitter winter months, which in the years since its full-scale invasion began in 2022 have brought an escalation of strikes on Ukraine's power grid.

The sanctions also target seven people "for their role in the indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, including those deported by the Russian authorities," and eight involved in the "arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian civilians," the Foreign Office said.

Minister for Europe Lord Wood of Anfield said: "We are targeting both the revenues that help sustain Russia's aggression and perpetrators of horrendous crimes against Ukrainian civilians, including children. The UK will not flinch in our support for Ukraine."