The UK has expanded the existing sanctions list against Russia.

As follows from the publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom, sanctions, in particular, are imposed against those who support the "separatist" regions of Ukraine, by which the British side means the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

In total, the updated version of the list includes 206 more individuals and legal entities from the Russian Federation, as well as the DPR and LPR.

According to the British side, 178 new members of the list are among the "separatists".

Six more sanctioned, according to the British Foreign Office, are oligarchs.

In particular, the updated list now includes Vagit Alekperov, president and co-owner of LUKOIL, Vladimir Yevtushenkov, chairman of the board of directors of AFK Sistema, Vladimir Yakunin, ex-president of Russian Railways, and Vladimir Bogdanov, general director of Surgutneftegaz.

In addition, sanctions are extended to the heads of government of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, Sergei Kozlov and Alexander Ananchenko.

Along with this, British sanctions were imposed on the head of the political council of the Ukrainian party "Opposition Platform - For Life" Viktor Medvedchuk.

A day earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that he had been detained "when trying to leave the country."

Since the end of February, London has imposed sanctions on more than 1,400 individuals and entities associated with Russia, including more than 100 oligarchs, according to the Foreign Office.

The UK is systematically expanding the sanctions lists against the Russians.

Two previous major updates on this subject were published on March 24 and 31.

In accordance with these decisions, sanctions were imposed, in particular, on the head of Sberbank German Gref, businessman Oleg Tinkov, and Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev.

In addition, London has included in the sanctions lists representatives of state-owned media, including journalist Sergei Brilev, Gazprom-Media CEO Alexander Zharov, as well as the autonomous non-profit organization TV-Novosti, to which RT belongs.

Senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS Vladimir Olenchenko, in an interview with RT, noted the UK's attempts to maintain "sanctions frenzy".

“The British have taken on the role of some such leader on sanctions in Europe.

The European Union, which is under pressure from the United States, does not show the agility that the Americans are counting on.

They set aside some issues, soften some issues, and provide for a temporary delay on some issues, ”said the analyst.

Olenchenko believes that the UK is assigned the role of leader in the “sanctions games”.

“Apparently, she likes this role, and in international relations she masters and applies it in every possible way ... She wants to set the tone – the sanctions tone in Europe – and encourage other Europeans to do the same,” Olenchenko added.

The expert is of the opinion that the UK is not interested in a political resolution of the situation around Ukraine.

“Therefore, in addition to the fact that they supply weapons, they are also trying to maintain such a “sanction frenzy,” the specialist explained.

“Non-cooperation hit millions of Europeans”

Along with sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities, London announced a ban on the import of iron and steel from Russia from April 14.

At the same time, the UK is introducing a ban on the export of quantum technologies and advanced materials to Russia.

During a meeting on the development of the Arctic, Vladimir Putin said that the refusal of a number of Western countries to cooperate with Russia hit the very inhabitants of these states.

“The refusal of a number of Western countries from normal cooperation, including from Russian energy resources, has already partly hit millions of Europeans and provoked a real energy crisis.

By the way, it also affects the United States,” the Russian leader noted.

According to the president, "prices are rising everywhere, and inflation is simply going through the roof."

“For these countries, it is absolutely unprecedented,” Putin said.