Almost 400 Russian politicians banned from UK in new round of sanctions
Mason Boycott-Owen
·24 min read
Mr Philp said that Russian claims that Ukrain was preparing to use chemical weapons were "totally untrue". - State Emergency Service of Ukrai/AFP via Getty Images/State Emergency Service of Ukrai/AFP via Getty Images
Liz Truss has announced that 386 Russian politicians have been sanctioned following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
All are members of the Russian Duma, the lower house of the country's parliament, and voted to recognise the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as "independent".
The UK has banned them from travelling to the UK, as well as from accessing assets held in Britain or doing business in the country.
Ms Truss said: "We're 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.
"Together with our allies, we stand firmly beside our Ukrainian friends. We will continue to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid, defensive weapons and diplomatic work to isolate Russia internationally."
Today the Foreign Secretary announced the latest in a round of sanctions as the UK continued to crack down on those close to the Putin regime and its war in Ukraine.
The sanctions consisted of 386 members of the Russian Duma, of which Roman Abramovich was elected to in 1999, where he represented an impoverished region of the east of the country.
All assets in the UK will now be frozen but Downing Street declined to say whether any of the members actually held any in Britain, making the effectiveness of the move unknown.
Meanwhile Evgeny Lebedev, who was made a Lord in 2020, has reassured the public that he is not a spy, despite his father serving as a KGB agent.
03:44 PM
How Russia’s weakened forces are ‘reposturing’ for an assault on Kyiv
Earlier today the Ministry of Defence shared its assessment that Russia is likely to "re-posture" its forces for a renewed offensive, but how will this work?
After two weeks of war, what are the chances of Vladimir Putin’s exhausted troops laying siege to the Ukrainian capital?
It is the political, historic and cultural centre of Ukraine.
It stands as a beacon of resistance against the Russian onslaught.
Soldiers carry the coffin of a deceased soldier at a cemetery in Kyiv on Friday - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency
03:31 PM
Cochrane's Scotland: Humiliated but undaunted, Douglas Ross poised to resume his attack on Boris Johnson
But there are signs of temporary rapprochement between the two during the Ukraine crisis, writes Alan Cochrane:
It’s difficult not to have at least a scintilla of sympathy for Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, over backing down on his forthright demands for Boris Johnson to resign. However, I know quite a few Tories who reckon that any humiliation he now suffers is entirely self-inflicted because of his rush to demand the Prime Minister’s head over Partygate.
When the row over what Boris did or didn’t say over which Downing Street party he did or didn’t attend first erupted, I wrote that things would be difficult for Ross to carry on as leader of the Scottish party if Boris didn’t resign. A clever sub-editor summed it up much better with a headline that stated that Ross would have to ‘stick or twist’.
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross reacts during First Minister's Questions at Holyrood - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
03:18 PM
Russia bans Instagram
Instagram has been restricted in Russia after posts "containing calls to commit violent acts against citizens of the Russian Federation" were published, Russian authorities said.
The state's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor will be restricting access following reports of calls for violence against Russians.
03:10 PM
'Having a Russian name doesn't mean I'm not a British citizen'
Lord Lebedev has said that his treatment shouldn't decend into "Russiaphobia".
"At the moment many with Russian roots are under scrutiny, including myself, he said.
"I understand the reason for this as it is inevitable when events of such magnitude occur and the world order as we have known it in recent decades suddenly gets torn up.
"I may have a Russian name but that makes me no less a committed or proud British citizen than anyone else in this country of ours.
"Being Russian does not automatically make one an enemy of the state, and it is crucial we do not descend into Russiaphobia, like any other phobia, bigotry or discrimination."
03:05 PM
UK and Ireland leaders to meet over the weekend
Irish premier Micheal Martin is to meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the weekend as part of a programme of events to mark St Patrick's Day.
The leaders will discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine as well as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Following his trip to the UK, Mr Martin will travel to Washington DC where he will meet US president Joe Biden.
02:49 PM
Former Home Secretary 'baffled' by current refugee delays
Amber Rudd told Times Radio that she is "baffled as to why this has taken the Home Office so long to come in and support the Ukrainian refugees".
She added that we need a "totally different" and "completely new" refugee and immigration scheme to react to the invasion of Ukraine, and that ultimately that on these sorts of decisions, "the Home Secretary can recommend but it is a Number 10 decision".
02:31 PM
My father was a spy, but I'm not, says Lebedev
Evgeny Lebedev has said he is "not some agent of Russia" after allegations surfaced that a security services assessment saying the newspaper owner posed a national security risk was withdrawn after Boris Johnson intervened.
In a statement to his Evening Standard website, Lord Lebedev said "accusations are coming from credible media outfits who are posing incredible questions to me so I feel I have no option but to respond".
"But I am not a security risk to this country, which I love. My father a long time ago was a foreign intelligence agent of the KGB, but I am not some agent of Russia," the crossbench peer wrote.
02:11 PM
Ukraine-Russia lunchtime briefing
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of hitting a psychiatric hospital near the eastern town of Izyum in another apparent attack on civilian targets.
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of hitting a psychiatric hospital near the town of Izyum, but thankfully there were no casualties.
President Vladimir Putin said there had been "certain positive shifts" in Moscow's talks with Ukraine on Friday, but provided no details.
A Russian soldier stopped a Ukrainian priest from approaching the boobytrapped body of a mayor who had been killed by invading troops.
A pregnant Ukrainian woman pulled from the rubble of a bombed Mariupol maternity hospital has given birth, acccording to reports.
Watch the video below for some incredible moments of hope and survival captured on camera. - including one couple who did not let the invasion (and joining the army) get in the way of their wedding plans.
01:50 PM
Charities call on Liz Truss to restore women and girls development budget
A letter to the Foreign Secretary, signed by charities and NGOs, including Bond, has called on Ms Truss to restore cuts made to the aid budget for women and girls.
It comes after the the International Development Select Committee revealed leaked foreign office doccuments which showed the department knew its previous cuts would harm women and girls the most.
"The equalities impact assessment showed that reductions to VAWG, SRHR and funding for women’s rights organisations would reduce services available to women and girls who are subject to sexual violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) and rollback hard warn gains on gender equality and women and girls’ rights," it said.
01:31 PM
'We should have protected you'
Delivering the final apology to victims of historical institutional abuse, Sinn Fein finance minister Conor Murphy said survivors had had to wait too long for an apology.
"The apology we offer you is unconditional. We should have protected you and we did not. We are sorry.
"You were harmed by those who should have cared for you. We are sorry.
"You told the truth, yet you were not believed. We are sorry.
"We are responsible. And we are so very, very sorry."
01:17 PM
Everard vigil response 'eroded trust in police'
In a statement following the ruling, the Mayor of London said he welcomes the High Court's judgment on the vigil.
Mr Khan said: "The murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer damaged the confidence of Londoners in the police. In the wake of such a horrendous crime, the policing of the vigil in her memory eroded trust in the police further.
"I was very clear with the Met at the time, that the scenes we saw at the vigil were unacceptable. I welcome today's judgment.
01:11 PM
Ireland sends medical supplies to Ukraine
The Republic of Ireland has sent 4,000 blood bags and 50,000 medical masks to Ukraine, as part of an effort to support the health service of the war-torn country.
Four thousand blood bags were donated by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and sent to Ukraine on Monday from a supplier in Poland, while 10,000 bio-protection suits, as well as 50,000 medical-grade masks and more than 2,500 litres of disinfectant were dispatched today.
12:55 PM
DUP minister apologises to victims failed by the state
Michelle McIlveen, the DUP education minister, has said that victims of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland were failed by the state.
"Delivering the first in a series of ministerial apologies to victims and survivors at Stormont, Ms McIlveen said: "Today, we say that we are sorry.
"Whilst in the care of the state you were made vulnerable - we did not ensure all our residential homes were filled with love and safety."
12:46 PM
First Insulate Britain protesters charged
Seventy-four people have been charged in relation to Insulate Britain protests which blocked the M25 motorway and roads near the Port of Dover, Kent Police said.
The incidents took place in September and October 2021.
It is believed to be the first time criminal proceedings have been launched in relation to Insulate Britain activists.
12:40 PM
Downing Street promises robust international response against chemical weapons
Downing Street has warned of a "robust" response against Russia if the Kremlin uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "The international community has always responded robustly following the use of chemical weapons, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals and try and look into the future, but you've seen what the Prime Minister's said and we continue to call for Russia not to use chemical weapons."
12:25 PM
Fewer than 1,500 visas issued
Baroness Williams of Trafford, a Home Office minister, said 1,305 visas for Ukrainian refugees had been issued as of Thursday morning, adding to peers on Friday: "Those figures are going up rapidly and that is a good thing."
Lord Ricketts, who served as the head of the diplomatic service and also as the UK national security adviser, earlier stressed the need for close UK-EU co-operation to keep citizens safe and to ensure there are effective arrangements for refugees to come to the UK.
The independent crossbench peer told the House of Lords: "These objectives are intrinsically linked. That's been shown by the tensions with the French authorities over recent days over what I regard as wholly inadequate arrangements that have been made in and around Calais for the reception of desperate Ukrainian families.
"Given the number of traumatised Ukrainian citizens who are now leaving the country, this flow of refugees is bound to continue for months, conceivably years, and we really do need to be working well with our EU partners if we're going to avoid damaging the climate of confidence, which is so important for good law enforcement and judicial co-operation."
Ukrainian civilians accommodate in a dormitory after leaving Ukraine due to Russian attacks in Calais - Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency
12:01 PM
Deafening vibrations mean Army’s £5.5bn Ajax tanks may never get back on track
Problems with the Army’s vibrating Ajax tanks may never be resolved, a report from the Whitehall spending watchdog has warned, writes Dominic Nicholls, our Defence Editor:
In a scathing report, the National Audit Office (NAO) said that the £5.5 billion project was “flawed from the start”, and that the Ministry of Defence failed to understand the scale and complexity of the work it was undertaking.
Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “A series of failures have led to delays and unresolved safety issues that will have a significant impact on the Army’s ability to use the vehicles.”
Ministers publicly acknowledged last year that the programme was in trouble. They included problems with excessive noise and vibration, which have left dozens of troops needing urgent hearing assessments after taking part in trials on the vehicles.
The Ajax tanks are more than four years behind schedule and have been plagued with safety problems - Richard P Walton
11:43 AM
Latest pictures from Ukraine
The mother of a deceased Ukrainian soldier embraces the priest during the funeral at a cemetery in Kyiv - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Ukrainians who fled the war in their country take refuge in the main hall of an athletic complex in the Moldovan capital Kishinev - MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP A woman covers herself with a blanket near a damaged fire truck after shelling in Mariupol - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka A Ukrainian soldier who gave the name Artur stands beside the burnt out Russian Tigr fighting vehicle that his unit say he first attacked - Scott Peterson/Getty Images
11:25 AM
UK sanctions further Russians
Liz Truss has sanctioned 386 members of the Russian Duma for their support for the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, the Foreign Office has said.
Foreign Secretary said: "We’re 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.
"Together with our allies, we stand firmly beside our Ukrainian friends. We will continue to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid, defensive weapons and diplomatic work to isolate Russia internationally."
11:21 AM
Met considers appealing High Court decision
Louisa Rolfe, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner said: "We are considering the judgment very carefully before deciding whether to appeal the court's decision.
"Consideration of an appeal is in no way indicative that the Met do not consider such protections to be of the utmost importance."
11:13 AM
Government to provide online lessons for refugees
Online classroom Oak National will roll out translated versions of its lessons in Ukrainian and Russian for newly-arrived refugee pupils.
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary told the Association of School and College Leaders: "We have a team that's ready and already making plans for a capacity of 100,000 Ukrainian children that will come in to take places now."
"To support schools' efforts, I asked the Oak National academy to roll out an auto-translate function across all 10,000 of its online lessons," he said.
"And I can share with you today that they have delivered on this, meaning that Ukrainian children arriving in the United Kingdom can access education in their native language."
10:58 AM
'We were angry that women still weren't safe and we were tired of the burden to stay safe always weighing on our shoulders'
In a statement outside the Royal Courts of Justice on behalf of the four women who organised the vigil, their solicitor Theodora Middleton said: "Today's judgment is a victory for women.
"Last March, women's voices were silenced. Today's judgment conclusively shows that the police were wrong to silence us.
"The decisions and actions by the Met Police in the run-up to the planned vigil for Sarah Everard last year were unlawful and the judgment sets a powerful precedent for protest rights.
"We came together one year and one day ago to organise a vigil on Clapham Common because Sarah Everard went missing from our neighbourhood. We felt sad and afraid.
"We were angry that women still weren't safe and we were tired of the burden to stay safe always weighing on our shoulders."
10:46 AM
Breaking - Met breached rights of Everard vigil organisers
The Metropolitan Police breached the rights of organisers of a vigil for Sarah Everard with its handling of the planned event, High Court judges have ruled.
More to follow.
10:43 AM
Former MP to stand trial for embezzlement next month
The trial of a former SNP MP accused of embezzling more than £25,000 from two pro-independence groups will start next month.
Ex-MP Natalie McGarry did not appear at a short hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday where Sheriff Tom Hughes said her trial would begin on April 4.
The 40-year-old has previously entered not guilty pleas to the charges she faces.
McGarry is accused of misappropriating £21,000 for her own use in her role as treasurer of the Women for Independence group between April 26 2013 and November 30 2015.
10:35 AM
Veterans minister calls on ex-service personnel not to join war in Ukraine
Leo Docherty said: "We know that Russia’s illegal invasion has rightly brought out strong feelings of support for the Ukrainian people.
"Veterans always step up in times of need, but they must channel their skills, experience and passion into legal routes of support for Ukraine and not engage in the conflict.
"There are many ways that we all can support the people of Ukraine, including through donating money to charity."
10:20 AM
Putin’s red (lipstick) army
Led by Maria Zakharova, a steely group of media-savvy mouthpieces have become the president’s weapon of choice in his propaganda war, writes Ed Cumming:
On Thursday, Europe and America woke up to perhaps the most distressing images to emerge from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Heavily pregnant women, and new mothers clutching babies, were escorted from the blackened ruins of a maternity hospital in Mariupol that had been destroyed by an airstrike, in which three people were killed. They were the sort of unforgettable photographs that can come to define a war. Proof, if it were needed, that Russia is waging war not on the army, but on Ukraine itself.
One woman was apparently unmoved, however: Maria Zakharova, director of the information and press department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Putin’s inscrutable spokesman.
Asked about the attack in a press briefing, she went on the offensive. “This is information terrorism,” she said, claiming that Ukrainian reports about the airstrike were fake. This followed her earlier claims that Ukraine was developing biological weapons.
Maria Zakharova is merely the most prominent soldier in the clone army that has taken on the job of lying for the Putin regime
10:06 AM
Scottish tory leader defends decision to back Boris
Douglas Ross has defended his decision to withdraw his demand for Boris Johnson to resign over the partygate saga.
Mr Ross said "anything else just seems trivial" compared with the war in Ukraine, saying he would support the Government in its efforts to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion.
09:49 AM
New record for fuel prices
Fuel prices have hit a new record high. Figures from data firm Experian Catalist show the average cost of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts on Thursday was 161.1p, up from 159.6p on Wednesday.
The average cost of a litre of diesel reached a new high of 170.1p on Thursday, up from 167.4p on Wednesday.
09:43 AM
Labour has a woman problem, says Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman, the former Labour deputy leader has said that the party has a "woman problem" because it has never elected a female leader.
In an interview with Sky News she said: "We've certainly got a woman problem in terms of never having a woman leader, which is downright embarrassing,"
"Next time we do need a woman leader."
Ms Harman was joined in parliament by her trade unionist husband in 2010 but on 7 January he died suddenly of a heart attack aged 73. - Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images
09:35 AM
Refugee numbers continue to rise
The UN has announced there are now 2.5 million refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees tweeted: "The number of refugees from Ukraine - tragically - has reached today 2.5 million.
"We also estimate that about two million people are displaced inside Ukraine.
"Millions forced to leave their homes by this senseless war."
On Thursday night, Russian forces were reported to have struck Lutsk military airfield in Volyn while residents of Kyiv were woken to the sound of air raid sirens.
The World Health Organisation has advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens housed in the country's public health laboratories to prevent "any potential spills".
Civilian targets came under Russian shelling in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
The council of the European Union on Thursday night "acknowledged the European aspirations" of Ukraine as EU leaders agreed to support the country's application to join the bloc.
Ukrainian authorities have claimed that Russian forces bombed a nuclear research facility on Thursday night.
A young girl who charmed the world after a video went viral of her performing the song Let It Go from Disney’s Frozen in a bomb shelter has reportedly made it to safety.
On the cost of living crisis and what action the Government may be taking, Chris Philp told Times Radio: "Clearly, both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the business secretary are very carefully studying the implications of what is happening in Eastern Europe on cost of living.
"I know the energy secretary is looking at what we can do to address any energy price issue. That work is underway, as we speak. And as you said, the Chancellor's Spring Statement is coming up shortly. He'll be looking at this very closely as well. I don't want to preempt the results of either of those two things."
08:56 AM
Will the cabinet welcome refugees into their homes?
When asked if he or any member of the cabinet would open their doors to refugees, Chris Philp would not comment.
“Once the details are published in the very near future everybody will have a look at that and see if their personal circumstances allow them to, and I’m sure the British public will look at that," he told Sky News
08:38 AM
Abramovich will not profit from Chelsea sale
When asked if a suitable buyer can be found, whether the Government will let Chelsea be sold, Mr Philp said: “Yes. As the licence conditions are written today, the sale would not be allowed.
"However if a buyer emerged, then it would be open for that buyer or that football club to approach the Government and ask for the licence conditions to be varied in a way that would allow the sale to take place.
“No proposal would be accepted which saw the proceeds of any sale ending up in an unrestricted bank account owned by Abramovich, he can’t benefit from the proceeds of any sale."
08:25 AM
Government urged to cut VAT for fuel
Simon Williams, fuel spokesman for the RAC, told BBC Radio 4 on Friday: "We know from our long-term research that eight in 10 drivers would struggle to be without their car, so having access to a car in a pandemic has also become more important, and so it's really quite tough now."
"The cost of filling up is over £88 for petrol and £92 for diesel," he said, adding that the pandemic had already caused prices to rise.
He said the RAC is calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to take action, adding: "One thing he could do is reduce VAT on petrol and diesel.
"At the moment, just the VAT, which is of course called a tax on a tax, is bringing 26 pence per litre so, bringing that back to 15% would instantly cut it by about six pence per litre."
08:19 AM
Some things are more important than football
Chris Philp, the technology minister, said: "I just say respectfully to the Chelsea fans, I know he's done a lot for the club, but the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and what the Russian regime are doing to civilians - shelling maternity hospitals and shooting civilians who are fleeing down humanitarian corridors - and that is more important than football."
08:09 AM
MoD update - Russia set to change tactics
Sharing its daily update on the situation in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence said that "Russia is likely seeking to reset and re-posture its forces for renewed offensive activity in the coming days. This will probably include operations against the capital Kyiv."
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 11 March 2022
High gas prices are leading to vegetable shortages
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned of a "very, very serious situation" as production of certain crops plummet due to rising gas prices.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, NFU president Minette Batters said:"I think the impact is being felt most harshly, if you like, in the protected crop sectors, so that's aubergines, peppers, cucumbers.
"We're already seeing massive contraction because, for these businesses, really 50% of their costs are reliant on the price of gas."
Ms Batters said farmers have been "talking about going from 80 million cucumbers to 35 million, 100 million peppers to 15 million.
Minette Batters said: "It's a very, very serious situation in that sector and this situation isn't going to go away any time soon, so it's about planning the future." - PA /Andrew Matthews
07:52 AM
If Russia came for Croydon, I'd be fighting in the streets
The digital minister said that Ukrainian citizens and soldiers had “every right to defend their homeland, to defend their cities and their towns, to defend their hospitals against this aggression by Russia.
“To be honest, if somebody was attacking Croydon, the place I represent, if somebody was bombing Croydon university hospital, I tell you what, I would be in the streets defending my hospital, I’d be in the streets defending my town and my neighbours, as the Ukrainians are quite rightly doing.”
07:46 AM
Putin is lying to his own people, minister says
Chris Philp said that Russia blocking social media websites was part of its disinformation campaign to “lie to the Russian people, because if they realised the full extent of the atrocities being committed by Putin in their name, they would be extremely angry," he told Sky News.
“That’s why Putin is trying to hide that from his own population."
07:45 AM
Good morning
Chris Philp, the digital minister, is on the morning round speaking about Ukraine, following government sanctions on Roman Abramovich, and the opening up of a new route for refugees.
Elsewhere in Westminster the House of Commons is not sitting, but the House of Lords is holding three debates on law enforcement after brexit, the electoral system, and digital technology.
Affluent Americans may want to double-check how much of their bank deposits are protected by government-backed insurance. The rules governing trust accounts just changed.
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at the age of 33. He played for five teams during his four NBA seasons. Morris played college basketball at Michigan.
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