Russia has banned 54 British nationals and people working for UK organisations from entering the country in retaliation for UK sanctions on its citizens, its foreign ministry says.

They include Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan.

A number of journalists from the BBC, the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian are also on the list.

The BBC said it would "continue to report independently and fairly".

The Russian foreign ministry said the move was in response to "the aggressive implementation by London of a hostile anti-Russian course".

Ms Frazer was sanctioned for "actively lobbying for the international sports isolation of Russia", while Minister of State for Defence Annabel Goldie was described as being "responsible for the supply of weapons to Ukraine".

In March the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

Mr Khan told the BBC at the time: "Children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported."

The BBC journalists include chief executive Deborah Turness, presenter and analysis editor Ros Atkins and disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring.

The Russian foreign ministry said it would continue to expand its "stop list".

Russia has already barred a number of British journalists and defence figures as well as hundreds of elected British MPs.

In June last year, the BBC's Clive Myrie and Orla Guerin were among journalists who have reported from Ukraine to be banned. BBC director general Tim Davie was also on the list.

The UK is among Western countries to have sanctioned Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

These include a ban on the import of goods from Russia such as diamonds, oil and gas.

Earlier this month, the British government announced what it described as the "largest ever UK action" targeting Russia's access to foreign military supplies..

More than 1,000 Russian businesses and individuals have been sanctioned by the US, EU, UK and other countries.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1037 HRS, AUG 19, 2023
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