Russia has banned five British nationals from entering the country, including Washington Post investigative journalist Catherine Belton and The i Paper security correspondent Richard Holmes.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the move late Tuesday, saying it was a response to what it described as Britain’s hostile policies toward Moscow and continued support for Ukraine.
Belton, widely known for her reporting on Russia and the Kremlin, has previously worked for several international media organisations, including the Financial Times and Reuters. Holmes is an award-winning investigative journalist and security correspondent with The i Paper.
The other individuals affected by the ban are Alexander Browder, a contributor to the Henry Jackson Society think tank; Alice Laugher, chief executive of humanitarian staffing company Committed to Good; and Richard Westbury, chairman of the Chelsea Group, the firm’s parent company.
In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused British officials of promoting what it called anti-Russian rhetoric, spreading misinformation about Russia and supporting Kyiv through military assistance.
The latest measure adds to a growing list of retaliatory actions exchanged between Moscow and London since relations deteriorated following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Britain has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russian officials, businesses and public figures since the start of the war. In response, Moscow has introduced its own sanctions, including travel bans targeting British politicians, journalists and other prominent figures.
The new restrictions underscore the continuing strain in relations between the two countries, with little sign of tensions easing as the conflict in Ukraine drags on.
