The ministry said the decision was taken in response to what it described as the United Kingdom’s “confrontational course” toward Russia.
Officials and Experts Targeted
According to the statement, the individuals affected include senior officials from the UK ministries of finance, trade and foreign affairs, a sitting member of parliament from Scotland, the deputy finance minister, and researchers associated with British security and defence institutes. The ban also extends to the head of a British research centre focusing on open-source intelligence.
Accusations Against London
Moscow accused the UK government of continuing to support Kyiv in efforts to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia, while funnelling resources into anti-Russian initiatives. In sharp language, the ministry said: “In order to prolong the life of one defeat after another ‘Ukrainian project’, in recent days the tools of mind manipulation have been launched: another twist of anti-Russian espionage, fantasies about a supposedly looming ‘war threat’ over Europe, with the pumped economic restrictions, however, hitting mainly on the British economy.”
Warning of Further Measures
The Foreign Ministry further claimed that London’s policies were worsening its domestic challenges, pointing to illegal migration, crime and sluggish economic growth. It said that attempts to isolate Russia internationally had failed and warned that efforts to discredit the country would continue to be met with a “decisive and tough” response.
“The expansion of the stop-list is aimed at countering Britain’s destructive policy of escalating tensions in Europe and the world,” the ministry said, adding that additional measures would follow if necessary.
Part of Wider Sanctions Dispute
The announcement is the latest in a series of reciprocal restrictions that have defined relations between Moscow and Western capitals since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
While largely symbolic, such measures underscore the deepening diplomatic rift and place further limits on engagement between politicians, officials and analysts on both sides.
The British government had not immediately responded to Russia’s announcement at the time of publication.
