Britain Thursday imposed sanctions on more than 50 individuals and entities connected to Russia, a move that targets what British officials say are "key sources of Russian revenue," such as diamonds, metals and energy trade.
In a statement, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron reiterated his support for Ukraine, nearly two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
"Our international economic pressure means Russia cannot afford this illegal invasion," Cameron said, adding that the latest sanctions are "starving Putin of the resources he desperately needs to fund his struggling war."
Among those sanctioned are importers and manufacturers that produce machine tools for defense systems as well as fighter jets, engines, tanks and missiles, according to a statement issued by Britain’s Foreign Office.
The sanctions also aim to target "malign" Russian shipping activities, such as the use of "shadow fleet" vessels to circumvent oil sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom, along with its partners from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, the G7.
The statement added that new measures are in place to expand the list of items blocked from reaching "Russia's war machine."
The foreign office said sanctioned individuals and entities include companies linked to munitions manufacturing, including Sverdlov State Owned Enterprise, the largest Russian ammunition business.
Oil trader Niels Troost and his company, Paramount Energy & Commodities, have also been sanctioned because Troost is believed to facilitate the Russian oil trade outside the reach of sanctions.
Other entities involved in Russia's shadow fleet operations have also been targeted, as well as those that produce copper, diamonds, steel and zinc.
The European Union announced its own sanctions package on Wednesday, targeting nearly 200 entities and individuals.
Cameron is set to visit New York for a special U.N. session on Saturday, dedicated to Ukraine, in which he will meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The meeting comes on the anniversary of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has described its invasion as a “special military operation.”
Britain has sanctioned more than 2,000 Russian individuals and entities. At the U.N. meeting, Cameron is expected to further express the U.K.'s continued support.
Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
