Russia bars 54 British journalists and ministers from entering country

Russia has barred 54 more British citizens from entering the country, in response to the UK’s sanctions against its citizens and enterprises, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russia accused the individuals and entities of involvement in “propaganda support of the activities of the [Ukrainian] Zelensky regime” and of being “Russophobic,” in its latest update to its sanctions policy on Friday.

The sanctions list includes several government ministers as well as journalists from public broadcaster the BBC, the Guardian newspaper and the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

“We would like to emphasize again that any efforts by London to further spin the anti-Russian sanctions flywheel will inevitably receive a decisive response from our side,” the Russian ministry said in a statement.

“Work on expanding the Russian ‘stop list’ in response to the actions of the British authorities will continue.”

The entry ban includes British prosecutor Karim Khan, who is an elected official on the International Criminal Court, due to his involvement “in issuing a warrant for the arrest of the Russian leadership,” according to the Russian foreign ministry statement.

In February, Khan submitted applications to the ICC for warrants of arrest for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

British cabinet minister Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was also included in the updated list, with Russian authorities claiming she is “actively lobbying for the international sports isolation of Russia.”

Earlier this year, Frazer said in a social media post that she asked sponsors of the Olympic Games “to join 35 like-minded nations and press the IOC for a continued ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in international sporting competitions,” adding that “we must continue to ensure that Russia and Belarus cannot use sport for their propaganda purposes.”

The new sanctions also include a Minister of State at the British Ministry of Defence, Baroness Goldie DL, who Russia has accused of being “responsible for the supply of weapons to Ukraine, including depleted uranium shells.”