Britain introduces new sanctions against Belarusian and Russian media

LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) – Britain said it would on Tuesday impose new economic, trade and transport sanctions on Belarus over its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and also sanctioned six Russians it said were incarcerated spread disinformation.

The Belarusian package will include import and export bans on goods worth around 60 million pounds ($73 million), including exports of oil-refined goods, advanced technology components and luxury goods, as well as imports of Belarusian iron and steel.

Britain will also ban more Belarusian companies from issuing debt and securities in London.

“The Belarusian regime actively facilitated Putin’s invasion by allowing Russia to use its territory to rend Ukraine – launching troops and missiles from its borders and flying Russian jets through its airspace,” the British government said in a statement .

Britain has already raised import tariffs by 35 percentage points on a range of products from Belarus and sanctioned Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and senior government officials. Continue reading

Britain, along with Western allies, has imposed sanctions on Russian elites, banks and strategic industries since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Russia says it is conducting a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The six Russians, named by Britain’s Treasury Department on Monday, were largely linked to websites SouthFront and NewsFront, which Britain said had “spread disinformation about Ukraine and the Russian government’s false narrative of the Russian invasion of the country.” supported by Ukraine”.

The UK also sanctioned United World International, which it described as an “online news site promoting pro-Russian disinformation”.

Under the sanctions, UK financial institutions must immediately freeze and report to the government any assets they hold on behalf of sanctioned individuals or companies.

($1 = 0.8267 pounds)

reporting by Kylie MacLellan and David Milliken; Adaptation by William James and Angus MacSwan

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