London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 05, 2026

Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death

The UK has sanctioned six top Russian prison officials from the facility where dissident Alexei Navalny perished.
These officials, now asset-frozen and banned from UK entry, oversaw the Arctic colony where Navalny spent his final days.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron stated the UK, initiating these sanctions, aims to hold accountable those behind Navalny's harsh treatment. Despite global leaders blaming Russian authorities, including President Putin, for Navalny's demise, some critics believe the UK's sanctions are insufficient.

The UK joins the US, which will soon announce its sanctions related to Navalny and Ukraine's conflict. The British government demands the return of Navalny's remains to his family and a thorough investigation into his death.

Among the penal colony officials sanctioned are Colonel Vadim Kalinin and Lieutenants Sergey Korzhov, Vasily Vydrin, Vladimir Pilipchik, Aleksandr Golyakov, and Aleksandr Obraztsov. There was no prior indication of these individuals planning UK visits.

As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak considers further actions against Russia, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer highlights Navalny's death as evidence of Putin's theft of wealth and democracy from Russians.

Calls for more extensive measures against Russia are echoed by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, with the EU also preparing additional sanctions.

Despite Russia's economy withstanding numerous sanctions post-Ukraine invasion, Western nations are now focusing on intervening with entities aiding Russia in evading these restrictions.

Navalny, a prominent figure in Russia's opposition for a decade, was serving a lengthy sentence seen as politically influenced. He reportedly collapsed and died suddenly at the penal colony, with his team claiming Putin orchestrated his murder.

His body's release has been delayed for "chemical analysis," amid speculation by his family that this aims to erase any remaining Novichok traces, the nerve agent used in a previous assassination attempt on Navalny.

While Putin has made no direct comment, the Kremlin has acknowledged Navalny's death. The search for his body continues as Russian authorities offer no confirmation of its location.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
UK Confirms Non-Involvement in U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela
UK Terror Watchdog Calls for Australian-Style Social Media Ban to Protect Teenagers
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Europe’s Luxury Sanctions Punish Russian Consumers While a Sanctions-Circumvention Industry Thrives
Berkshire’s Buffett-to-Abel Transition Tests Whether a One-Man Trust Model Can Survive as a System
Fraud in European Central Bank: Lagarde’s Hidden Pay Premium Exposes a Transparency Crisis at the European Central Bank
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Tesla Loses EV Crown to China’s BYD After Annual Deliveries Decline in 2025
UK Manufacturing Growth Reaches 15-Month Peak as Output and Orders Improve in December
Beijing Threatened to Scrap UK–China Trade Talks After British Minister’s Taiwan Visit
Newly Released Files Reveal Tony Blair Pressured Officials Over Iraq Death Case Involving UK Soldiers
Top Stocks and Themes to Watch in 2026 as Markets Enter New Year with Fresh Momentum
No UK Curfew Ordered as Deepfake TikTok Falsely Attributes Decree to Prime Minister Starmer
Europe’s Largest Defence Groups Set to Return Nearly Five Billion Dollars to Shareholders in Twenty Twenty-Five
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
×