UK extends Russia sanctions targeting those helping fund Putin’s war as Ukrainian president visits Britain

A new raft of sanctions that will target those helping to fund Vladimir Putin's war machine were announced by the UK Government on Wednesday.

It came as Volodymyr Zelensky made a historic visit to London and Britain announced it will train Ukrainian pilots to fly Nato-standard fighter jets.

The Foreign Office said individuals who have helped the Russian President amass his extensive personal wealth, and companies profiting from the Kremlin’s war machine will be penalised.

In total, the UK’s sanctions package was extended to cover six more companies providing military equipment, such as drones, for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Eight individuals who help "maintain wealth and power amongst Kremlin elites" were also hit.

They include:

•CST, a manufacturer of Russian drones which have been used to destroy Ukrainian combat vehicles

•RT-Komplekt who produce parts for helicopters used by Russia in their assault on Ukraine

•Oboronlogistics who organise the transportation and delivery for Russian military equipment

•Universalmash and Lipetsk, who manufacture or modify the tracked chassis for anti-aircraft missile systems used by Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine

•Topaz, a software company involved in military aviation

Mr Zelensky has called on the West to continue ramping up sanctions against the Kremlin.

During a speech in Westminster Hall, the Ukrainian President said Britain provided "preventive" support before the invasion.

“We must take these principles of preventive aid to those who are threatened with aggression and preventive sanctions against those who threaten aggression as basic principles of the world anti-war policy,” he said.

He added: "We put together a powerful sanction coalition and your leadership is protecting the international legal order through sanctions against a terrorist state cannot be questioned.

"And we have to steadily continue along this way until Russia is deprived of any possibility to finance the war."

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “Ukraine has shown Putin that it will not break under his tyrannical invasion.

"He has responded by indiscriminately striking civilian areas and critical national infrastructure across the country.

“We cannot let him succeed. We must increase our support.

“These new sanctions accelerate the economic pressure on Putin – undermining his war machine to help Ukraine prevail.

“I am determined, consistent with our laws, that Russia will have no access to the assets we have frozen until it ends, once and for all, its threats to Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and integrity.”

The Ukrainian president landed on an RAF C-17 aircraft amid tight security at 10.22am at Stansted airport where he was met by Rishi Sunak.

He then headed to Downing Street for talks with the Prime Minister before addressing Parliament in Westminster Hall.

This afternoon he was due to meet King Charles at Buckingham Palace before travelling to see Ukrainian troops being trained in the UK.