Canada Imposes Sanctions on 38 Russian Individuals,16 Entities Including Rossiya Segodyna

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Canadian Government has imposed Russia-related sanctions on 38 individuals and 16 entities, including MIA Rossiya Segodyna, Global Affairs Canada said on Friday.

“The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing further sanctions in relation to Russia’s illegal invasion and attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory,” Global Affairs said in a statement.

"Canada is sanctioning 38 individuals and 16 entities that are complicit in peddling Russian disinformation and propaganda."

The ministry said the new sanctions targets include MIA Rossiya Segodyna, the umbrella media group of RIA Novosti, PRIME, InoSMI, TOK, KOT, Baltnews, Ukraina.ru, Social Navigator and Arctic.ru. More specifically, sanctions were placed against Rossiya Segodnya Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dmitry Gornostayev, journalist Sergey Brilev and war correspondent Evgeny Poddubny

The United World International and Foundation for the Fight Against Repression which reportedly have links to Russian billionaire and Wagner owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, are also included in the sanctions, the statement added.

Nikolay Victorovich Baskov, a popular Russian singer and television host has also been sanctioned.

Moments after the sanctions were announced, Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov blasted the development as "ridiculous."

"This is ridiculous. It’s just the desire of [Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie] Joly to curry favor with Ukraine and the United States," Stepanov told Sputnik. "It discredits the quality of the Canadian diplomatic service."

"The answer will follow," Stepanov said. "We always act based on the principle of reciprocity - symmetrically, asymmetrically, but for every unfriendly action on the part of the current Canadian authorities, which we look at with regret, we will respond. If the unfriendly steps were not taken then there would be no need for a response."

Stepanov previously blasted the Trudeau administration's sanctions scheme and pointed out how the government has repeatedly and recklessly thrown its blind support behind the Kiev regime. In October 2022, Stepanov underscored Canada was boldly showing its allegiance to the anti-Russian stance marked by both the US and UK.