United States: A woman identified in news reports as Vladimir Putin's longtime love interest is one of the targets of a new round of US sanctions against the Russian elite.

According to the US Treasury Department, Alina Kabaeva, a former member of the State Duma and Olympic gymnast in her youth, has had her visa frozen by the government, which also announced other property restrictions.

She is also the CEO of a Russian national media organization, according to the department supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Sanctions against Kabaeva have been called for by Kremlin critics and imprisoned Russian rights activist Alexei Navalny as he claims his news organization was the first to portray Western commentary on the invasion as a propaganda campaign.

In May, the UK approved Kabaeva, and in June, the EU imposed property and travel restrictions on it.

Andrey Grigoryevich Gurev, an aristocrat who owns the Wittenhurst Estate, a 25-bedroom mansion that is the second largest property in London after Buckingham Palace, has also been mentioned in the Treasury's most recent round of sanctions.

Alfa Nero, his US$120 million yacht, was also listed as a blocked asset. His son Andrey Andreevich Guryev and his son's Russian investment company Dzhi AI Invest OOO were also approved.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement, "Putin's aides "enrich themselves and fund affluent lifestyles, while innocent people suffer from the illegal invasion of Russia."

The United States, along with our allies, will continue to cut off funding and supplies supporting Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine.

Additional visa restrictions and other restrictions were also imposed by the State Department.
Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Magnitogorskiy Metallurgheskiy Kombinat (MMK), one of the world's largest steel producers, and its majority owner and chairman of the board, Viktor Rashnikov, are also targets of a sanctions round announced by the Treasury on Tuesday.

According to the Treasury, MMK is one of Russia's largest taxpayers and provides a substantial source of income to that country's government.

Its two subsidiaries, Investitsionnaya Kompaniya MMK-FINANS in Russia and MMK Metalurji Sanayi Ticaret Ve Liman Isletmeciligi Anonim Sirketi, were also named by Washington.

Russia's Trade Minister Denis Manturov said on Monday that his country may consider acquisition and storage of metals to aid domestic steelmakers, which have been adversely affected by Western sanctions against Moscow.

Ukraine, along with 893 Russian officers and military personnel, as well as 31 foreign officials from unidentified countries, will now be subject to visa restrictions as a result of their participation in the crackdown against those who support Russia's annexation of Crimea, the US State Department said. Announced Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement, "In an effort to isolate Russia's defense and high-technology industries and limit their contributions to Moscow's war machine, the department has imposed sanctions on 24 Russian defense and technology companies." Was doing it too."

Also targeted were three Russian businessmen who were claimed by the State Department to be "supporters of Putin".
Requests for comment about Tuesday's events were not immediately responded to by the Russian embassy in Washington.

In April, the US imposed sanctions on Putin's two adult daughters, Katerina Tikhonova and Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova.

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