UK imposes sanctions on Russia to target mercenary assassin squad

Billionaires, drone manufacturer and diamond firm also on new blacklist

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the media after arriving in Brussels (Henry Nicholls/PA) (PA Wire)

The UK has imposed new sanctions on Russian billionaires and businesses, as well as the Wagner Group mercenaries tasked with assassinating Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The paramilitary Wagner Group is a private military company employing fighters from civil conflicts around the world, and has been active in Ukraine since 2014 supporting pro-Russian separatist elements in the eastern Donbass region.

Widely regarded as Vladimir Putin’s private army, it has reportedly been given orders to track down and murder Ukrainian leaders including Zelensky, but has so far failed in this objective and is reported to have taken numerous casualties.

Also sanctioned are key parts of Russian industry supporting the Ukraine invasion, like military drone manufacturer Kronshtadt and Russian Railways, six more banks and the world’s largest diamond producer Alrosa.

Individuals sanctioned include the billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, founder of Tinkoff bank Oleg Tinkov, Herman Gref, the CEO of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, and Polina Kovaleva, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s ‘step daughter’.

Galina Danilchenko, who was installed by Russia as the mayor of Melitopol is also sanctioned - the first time an individual has been sanctioned for collaboration with Russian forces currently in Ukraine.

The new measures were announced as prime minster Boris Johnson arrived in Brussels for talks with Nato allies on the Ukrainian emergency.

Mr Johnson said: “Vladimir Putin is plainly determined to double down on his path of violence and aggression, absolutely brutal the way he’s treating the Ukrainian people.

“We’ve got to step up, we’ve got to increase our support, we’ve got to tighten the economic vice around Putin, sanctioning more people today - as we are - looking at what we can do to stop Putin using his gold reserves and also doing more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.”

Announcing the new sanctions, foreign secretary Liz Truss said: “These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price.  

“Putin should be under no illusions – we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine. There will be no let-up”.