Shafaq News/ Russia has declared entry bans on 54 British citizens in a retaliatory move against UK sanctions targeting Russian individuals and entities. 

The decision, announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, comes in response to the imposition of sanctions on British officials, including Annabel Goldie, Minister of State for Defence, and Karim Ahmed Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Lucy Frazer, the UK's Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, was also sanctioned.

The move by Russia is a direct response to an "arrest warrant" issued against Russian leadership by the International Criminal Court (ICC). In March, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges related to alleged war crimes involving the deportation of children from Ukraine—a claim Moscow firmly denies.

According to Russia Today, the sanctions encompass a broad spectrum of individuals, extending to journalists from prominent British media outlets like BBC, The Guardian, and The Daily Telegraph.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that these measures were taken in response to London's implementation of an anti-Russian stance, epitomized by unilateral sanctions targeting Russian citizens and domestic economic entities. The expanded sanctions roster includes political figures, law enforcement representatives, legal professionals, and media personnel from the UK.

Russian authorities firmly conveyed that any efforts by the UK to escalate anti-Russian sanctions would be met with stubborn opposition. The Foreign Ministry reiterated its readiness to expand the "sanctions list" as a strategic countermeasure to British actions, signaling a deepening diplomatic standoff between the two nations.