Sanctions against Russia
17 Commons Library Research Briefing, 22 March 2023
Putin, Lavrov and family members sanctioned
On 25 February 2022, the Government sanctioned President Putin and Russian
Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, who are now subject to an asset freeze.
32
UK
companies are banned from providing goods, services or assets to them in
the future.
33
Putin and Lavrov have also been sanctioned by the EU and US
(see below). A travel ban was not imposed on them, as with other senior
Russian officials, to allow for diplomatic meetings.
On 24 March the Government also announced that Sergey Lavrov's
stepdaughter, Polina Kovaleva, who owns a £4 million property in London had
been sanctioned.
34
The FCDO said the decision sent "a strong signal that
those benefiting from association of those responsible for Russian aggression
are in scope of our sanctions".
35
In early April the FCDO also announced that President Putin's daughters,
Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova, and Sergey Lavrov's daughter,
Yekaterina Vinokurova, would also be made subject to asset freezes and
travel bans in a bid to curtail their "lavish lifestyles".
36
The UK has
coordinated these sanctions with the United States.
37
Maria Lavrova, Sergey Lavrov's wife, was sanctioned on 13 April and is now
subject to a UK asset freeze and travel ban.
38
On 13 May the Government announced that President Putin's "wallet of family
and friends" who benefit from his rule and, in turn, support his lifestyle and
"his war machine" would be targeted.
39
Among those close family and friends
sanctioned are Putin's former wife Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, and Putin's alleged
partner who is also the Chair of the Board of the National Media Group, Alina
Kabaeva.
40
On 29 June the Government sanctioned Anna Tsivileva, Putin's first cousin and
President of the Russian coal mining company JSC Kolmar Group, along with
her husband Sergey Tsivilev who is Governor of the coal-rich Kemerovo
region.
41
Putin's inner circle sanctioned
In line with sanctions already imposed by the EU and US, the UK Government
announced on 15 March that several figures from President Putin's inner circle
would be sanctioned by the UK. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Defence
32
HM Treasury, Financial Sanctions Notice, 25 February 2022
33
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 25 February 2022
34
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 24 March 2022
35
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 24 March 2022
36
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 8 April 2022
37
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 8 April 2022
38
HM Treasury, Financial Sanctions Notice, 13 April 2022
39
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 13 May 2022
40
HM Treasury, Financial Sanctions Notice, 13 May 2022
41
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 29 June 2022
President Putin and
Russian Foreign
Minister, Sergei
Lavrov, were
sanctioned by the
UK on 25 February
2022.
