UK Announces New Anti-Russian Sanctions Over Referendums in Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom announced on Monday new sanctions over referendums in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

"The Foreign Secretary has today (26 September) announced 92 sanctions in response to the Russian regime imposing sham referendums in four regions of Ukraine – a clear violation of international law, including the UN charter," the statement says

Thirty-three officials, including the head of the government of the Kherson region Sergey Eliseev, the minister of education and science of the Lugansk People's Republic Ivan Kusov, the head of the administration of the Zaporozhye region Yevgeny Balytskyi, a member of the main council of the Zaporozhye regional administration Vladimir Rogov, the head of the Kherson city administration Alexander Kobets, and deputy chairman of the government of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Yevgeny Solntsev, were sanctioned over the organization of the referendums.

Four Russian businessmen, including real estate developers God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev, Ural Mining and Metallurgic Company President Iskander Makhmudov and ARETI International Group President Igor Makarov, were sanctioned for "supporting or obtaining benefit from the Government of Russia and operating in sectors of strategic significance."

Voting in referendums on joining Russia

© Sputnik

/

Go to the mediabank

The UK also sanctioned Russian state papers printing monopoly Goznak and IMA Consulting, which it called "Putin’s favourite PR agency."

New sanctions also affected 55 board members of Russian financial organizations, including 23 individuals from Gazprombank, 16 from Sberbank and 10 from Sovcombank.