DAVOS, Switzerland - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Russian billionaire Vikor Vekselberg, three family members of President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson and lawmakers in the latest punishment for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has been hit by a slew of measures since launching its Feb.24 invasion, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945, which Moscow says is 'a special operation' to disarm its neighbor and dislodge it calls 'nea - Nazis'.
Those hit by Friday's sanctions include 10 people on the board of VTB, the second - largest lender in Russia, and 12 members of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.
'Treasury continues to hold Russian officials to account for enabling Putin's unjustified and unprovoked war', said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Putin's spokesperson Dimity Peskov was targeted on March 3. Friday's measures extend to his wife and two adult children.
They lead 'luxurious lifestyles that are incongruous with Peskov's civil servant salary', the Tresury said in a release.
The Kremlin did not immediately reply to a Reuters request to comment out - of - hours.
Russian forces continued to bombard cities on Friday across Ukraine and appeared to be regrouping for a possible assault on the capital Kyiv.
In mid - February, Russia's lower house of parliament voted to ask Putin to recognize two Russian - backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
Eleven members and speaker Vyacheslav Volodin were added to the sanctions list on Friday.
'Today's designations further hold account those actors who were directly responsible for Russia's illegitimate and unlawful recognition...and facilitating the sham pretext used by Putin to justify the...unprovoked war live in Donbass need our help and support'.
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