UK sanctions Russian Olympics gymnast, 12 Putin 'associates'

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London has imposed sanctions against retired Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva over alleged personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UK Foreign Office said Friday.

The sanctions come during soaring tensions between the West and Russia, and in addition to the gymnast, the United Kingdom sanctioned 11 other individuals believed to "owe Putin their wealth and power".

"Today's sanctions isolate the family members and financiers deep within Putin's inner circle, compounding the pressure on Putin as he continues his senseless invasion into Ukraine," the statement read.

The British sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans on the targeted individuals, a policy London has been closely following when it comes to anti-Russian measures.

The list of sanctioned individuals is spearheaded by Kabaeva, a retired Olympic champion who had won gold for her country in 2004 and later became the Board of the National Media Group, a large private media company that supports Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The list also includes Kabaeva's grandmother, Anna Zatseplina, who the Foreign Office alleged had "reportedly" received a luxury flat from President Putin's associate, Gennady Timchenko. Another is Putin's ex-wife, Lyudmila Orcheretnaya, in addition to several of his cousins and friends believed to have received spoils from Putin in exchange for "undying loyalty".

The war in Ukraine led to an avalanche of sanctions against Russia, banning the country's athletes from participating in international sports events. Even paraplegic Russian athletes were not safe from the inundating sanctions, dubbed by many as "hysterical".

The United States has been leading a bid to sanction Russia over the situation in Ukraine, rolling out, alongside its allies, comprehensive sanctions.

It has been argued many times that the anti-Russian sanctions reflected a sentiment of Russophobia, as they have gone and affected literature, art, and all aspects of the Russian culture.

The Italian University of Milan Bicocca canceled lectures on Russian novelist and cultural icon Fyodor Dostoevsky for "political reasons" in light of the Ukraine crisis and rising tensions between the West and Moscow.