Russia adds 18 UK representatives to sanctions list

MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) - Russia has expanded its list of sanctioned British individuals as a retaliatory measure, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Moscow "has made a decision to include some figures of the military and political establishment and the UK scientific and academic community in the Russian stop list," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website.

Eighteen British nationals, including in particular high-ranking representatives of the UK's defense and security agencies and parliament, were included in the sanctions list.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the decision to expand the stop list was made in retaliation to "London's ongoing confrontational policies," the supply of weapons to Kiev, and also to the actions of British representatives "aimed at discrediting the constitutional system and socio-political processes" in Russia.