Britain added Vladimir Putin's daughters to its sanctions list on Friday, mirroring moves by the United States, in what it said was an effort to target the lifestyles of those in the Russian president's inner circle.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Britain and other Western allies have announced several waves of sanctions targetting Moscow's wealthy elites, key industries and its access to the international financial system.
An update to Britain's sanctions list announced asset freezes on Putin's adult daughters Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vorontsova, and Sergeyevna Vinokurova, the daughter of foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. All three were sanctioned by the United States earlier this week.
"Our unprecedented package of sanctions is hitting the elite and their families, while degrading the Russian economy on a scale Russia hasn’t seen since the fall of the Soviet Union," Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.
Britain also said its analysis showed Russia is heading for the deepest recession since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Britain estimates that 60% of Russian foreign currency reserves have been frozen as a result of international sanctions.
On Thursday, the Kremlin, which says its actions are a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" Ukraine, described the move against Putin's daughters as part of a broader Western frenzy against Russia.
(Reporting by William James; editing by Michael Holden)
