LONDON: The United Kingdom (UK) has imposed fresh sanctions on nearly a dozen senior Russian officials and the country’s election commission in response to what it deems as “sham” elections held in occupied Ukrainian territory this month and last year.
These measures come as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly 20 months ago and bring the total number of Russians and entities sanctioned by the UK to over 1,600.
The UK has specifically targeted 11 officials and the electoral organization for their direct involvement in undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity through the condemned referendums and elections conducted in October of last year and earlier this month. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel restrictions for those affected.
UK also Sanctions Russian Electoral Officials
Among the entities and individuals facing sanctions are Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), including one of its senior officials, Natalya Budarina, as well as Andrei Aleksyenko, head of the Kherson regional administration claimed by Russia, and Marina Zakharova, head of its election commission.
These elections were conducted in several seized Ukrainian regions, including Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk, following Moscow’s claims of “falsified and illegitimate sham referendums” in October last year. The situation escalated as further votes were held in these regions and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Despite not having full military control over these regions, the Kremlin contends that it received local support to annex the eastern and southern Ukrainian territories in last year’s ballots. It also claims that the United Russia party, aligned with President Vladimir Putin, secured victory in this month’s elections.
However, these elections have been widely dismissed by Ukraine and its Western allies as fraudulent, and Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in efforts to regain control of the seized territories. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly emphasized that “Russia’s sham elections are a transparent, futile attempt to legitimize its illegal control of sovereign Ukrainian territory” and stressed that the UK will never recognize Russia’s claims to Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also criticized the “sham elections” and warned that individuals involved in facilitating them could face sanctions and visa restrictions. The European Union has similarly warned Russia of “consequences” for those involved in organizing the contested votes, having already imposed 11 rounds of sanctions against Moscow since February 2022.
