London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2026

UK sanctions 386 Russian MPs over Ukraine invasion

UK sanctions 386 Russian MPs over Ukraine invasion

The UK government has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian parliamentarians as part of its response to the war in Ukraine.

Some 386 MPs who voted to recognise two rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine as independent last month have been hit by asset freezes and UK travel bans.

The UK said their recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk gave Russia a "pretext" for its subsequent invasion.

Labour welcomed the move but said it should have happened "weeks ago".

It follows a similar move by the European Union, which announced sanctions against hundreds of Russian MPs last month.

'Tighten the screw'


The UK signalled it would impose sanctions of its own last month, but said more time was needed to pass new legislation before it could happen.

The latest announcement means 400 of the 450 members of the Duma - the lower house of the Russian parliament - are now subject to British sanctions. They also prevent them from conducting business in the UK.

Downing Street declined to say whether any of the sanctioned politicians had any assets in the UK.

Ministers are yet to also target members of the Federation Council, the Russian parliament's upper house, who voted for recognition. The Foreign Office signalled its intention to do so last month.

Meanwhile, No 10 said details of a UK ban on exporting luxury goods to Russia would be announced in the coming days.

The product ban is part of a series of additional trade sanctions announced by the G7 group of wealthy Western nations on Friday.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK was targeting "those complicit in Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine and those who support this barbaric war".

"We will not let up the pressure and will continue to tighten the screw on the Russian economy through sanctions," she added.

The move against Russian MPs follows sanctions on Russian banks, companies and oligarchs in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month.

On Thursday the UK announced sanctions on a further seven Russian oligarchs, including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.

The UK government says it means 18 Russian oligarchs, worth a combined £30bn, have been sanctioned since the Russian invasion began.

Russia's Duma approved "friendship treaties" with Luhansk and Donetsk at a vote on 22 February


Ministers have been coming under mounting pressure from opposition parties to increase both the speed and scale of sanctions in recent weeks.

Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said the latest sanctions against Duma members were welcome, but "should have happened weeks ago".

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran also backed the move, but said the UK had been "moving at a snail's pace".

The government has also faced criticism over its response to the refugee crisis, amid accusations the process to apply for visas is slow and bureaucratic.

The United Nations said more than 2.5 million people have now fled Ukraine, but as of Thursday morning the UK had issued 1,305 visas, Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford said on Friday.

The government has announced plans to allow Ukrainians with family in the UK to apply for visas online, without having to visit a visa centre in-person.

Details of a second scheme allowing individuals and businesses to sponsor refugee visas are set to be confirmed on Monday, having originally been announced on 1 March.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor
Badenoch Defends Tory Candidate Jailed for Antisemitic Abuse of Luciana Berger
NHS Spends £240m a Year Storing Paper Records Despite Digital Push
Apple Seeks Court Order to Stop OpenAI Using Alleged Trade Secrets
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Comcast: Tied to a Chair and Hit in the Face With Cake: The Regular Humiliation Ritual at the US Corporate Giant
Aston Martin Faces Legal Threat Over £550m Rescue Deal
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
UK Driver Sentenced to Four Years for Staged Electric Vehicle Brake Failure Fraud
Conservative Party and Reform UK Face Scrutiny During Clacton By-Election Campaign
Ministry of Justice Reviews Early Release Rules After Public Anger Over Police Killer Cases
NHS Radiographers Report Rising Racist Abuse From Patients Across UK Hospitals
UK Banking Regulators Face Pressure After Customer Loses Fourteen Thousand Pounds in AI Voice Scam
Research Challenges Treasury Control Over UK Public Spending and Calls for Greater Local Decision-Making
Home Office Begins Four-Week Weapons Surrender Campaign Across Major English Cities
Southern England Records Driest July in Nearly Two Centuries as Drought Concerns Grow
Apple Challenges UK Government Request for Access to Encrypted User Data in Legal Fight
BP Reports Sharp Profit Increase as Middle East Conflict Drives Global Oil Prices Higher
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
AstraZeneca Merger Talks Reflect Intensifying Pharmaceutical Consolidation
University Merger May Set Template for Higher Education Reform
Apple's Legal Challenge Highlights Growing Tension Over Encryption and Surveillance
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Agenda Signals Shift Toward Greater Regional Devolution
Mental Health Trust Faces Criticism Over Planned £25 Million Budget Cuts
Scientists and Cultural Leaders Call for Funding to Save Jodrell Bank Observatory
UK Manufacturing Output Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
University of Greenwich and University of Kent Complete Landmark Merger
Nigel Farage Unveils Naval Border Proposal Amid Questions Over £5 Million Donation
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Encrypted Data Access Demands
AstraZeneca Shares Fall After Reports of $400 Billion Bristol Myers Squibb Merger Talks
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
×