London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

Ukraine conflict: UK sanctions Belarus for role in Russian invasion

Ukraine conflict: UK sanctions Belarus for role in Russian invasion

The UK has targeted Belarusian army chiefs as part of its first wave of sanctions against Belarus for its role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Four defence officials and two military enterprises are included in the package.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko had aided and abetted Russia's invasion.

Mr Lukashenko has hosted Russian forces and allowed them to use Belarus as a staging ground.

A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Lukashenko's administration has become increasingly reliant on Russia for economic, political and military support in recent years.

Mr Putin backed Mr Lukashenko after he claimed a disputed election victory in 2020, sparking mass protests that almost ousted him from power.

In January this year, Belarus hosted large joint military drills with Russia as western leaders issued increasingly grave warnings of a possible attack on Ukraine.

The exercises were extended and then Belarus announced that the Russian troops would remain in the country, citing "the aggravation of the situation" in eastern Ukraine.

But on Monday, Mr Lukashenko said Belarus had no plans to join Russia's military operation in Ukraine, according to state news agency Belta.

Mr Lukashenko denied Ukraine's allegations that Russian troops were attacking from Belarus's territory, Belta's report said.

Announcing sanctions on Tuesday, the UK government accused Belarus of "facilitating the invasion from within its borders".

Those sanctioned include:

*  Belarus's deputy defence minister, Major General Victor Gulevich, who is "responsible for directing the actions of the Belarusian armed forces"

*  Major General Andrei Burdyko, a logistics chief; Major General Sergei Simonenko, an arms chief; and Major General Andrey Zhuk, Belarus's deputy minister of defence

*  Also sanctioned are JSC Integral, a military semi-conductor manufacturer, and JSC 558 Aircraft Repair Plant, which provides maintenance and servicing to military aircraft at an air base from which Russian aircraft have operated

Ms Truss said Belarus "will be made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin".

"We are inflicting economic pain on Putin and those closest to him. We will not rest until Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is restored."

The UK says it has already imposed sanctions on more than 100 people and organisations in response to the "fraudulent elections" and "human rights violations" in Belarus.

Suggesting further sanctions could be imposed on Belarus over the Ukraine invasion, the foreign secretary said "nothing - and no one - is off the table".

Belarusian and Russian forces took part in joint military exercises in Belarus ahead of the invasion of Ukraine


Tuesday's Belarus sanctions came as MPs approved new measures against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The package includes a full asset freeze for all Russian banks, as well as new powers to limit them from clearing payments in sterling.

A ban has also been enacted on a range of exports critical to the maintenance and development of Russia's military and strategic interests.

It is being applied in close alignment with the US, European Union and other partners to collectively cut off much of Russia's high-tech imports.

The measures were announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who told the House of Commons last week they were "the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen".

Described as economic war, they are designed to isolate Russia and plunge the country into a recession.

To apply more pressure on Russia, Labour and Conservative MPs have called on the UK government to strengthen the sanctions regime.

Labour shadow foreign minister Stephen Doughty urged the government to "go even faster and further", warning in some cases the sanctions have been "off the pace" compared with the UK's allies.

Conservative former cabinet minister David Davis said action was needed against the "140 or so oligarchs" identified as having "direct links" with President Putin.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×