Russia imposes retaliatory sanctions on UK and Japan
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced new sanctions against the United Kingdom and Japan, according to statements posted on the ministry’s website.
Entry into Russia has been prohibited for 15 British nationals. The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that the individuals are involved in training Ukrainian military personnel, directing defense companies supplying products or services to Kyiv, and experts and journalists with "anti-Russian" positions on defense issues and Russia's war against Ukraine . Among those added to Russia's "no-entry list" are BAE Systems board member Angus Cockburn, Paradigm Security Solutions Limited CEO Robert Paxman, and The Daily Telegraph columnist Thomas Sharp.
Furthermore, entry to Russia is barred for 13 Japanese nationals. The ministry described these sanctions as "retaliatory measures" against Tokyo's ongoing sanctions against Moscow. Those affected include Toyota board chair Akio Toyoda, Rakuten founder Hiroshi Mikitani, and Japan International Cooperation Agency president Akihiko Tanaka.
On June 13, the UK imposed additional sanctions against Russia, introducing measures akin to those by the US on the Moscow Exchange, National Clearing Center, National Settlement Depository, and several other significant Russian financial entities. London reasoned that these sanctions aim to weaken Russia’s "war machine."
In addition, June marked the first time the UK imposed restrictive measures on six vessels of the Russian "shadow fleet". These ships, according to the British government, are used by Russia to circumvent the Western sanctions and enable uninterrupted trade in Russian oil.
Japan expanded its sanctions on June 21, targeting entities and individuals involved in evading previous sanctions and aiding Russia’s acquisition of electronics for weapon production. The measures impact more than 50 legal entities and individuals across Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the UAE, including the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, Perm Powder Factory, Arzamas Instrument-Building Plant, and two companies under the Almaz-Antey corporation, among other defense enterprise