UK’s new Foreign Secretary visits Kyiv with aid and Russia sanctions

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who was appointed to the post on September 5, 2025, arrived on her first visit to Ukraine and announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, which included about 70 shadow fleet vessels and 30 individuals and legal entities.

"The UK will not stand idly by while Putin continues his barbaric invasion of Ukraine," the British government's press service quotes the minister as saying.

Britain is one of Ukraine's main allies, and the two countries have signed a 100-year partnership agreement.

The new restrictions against Russia are aimed at reducing Putin's regime's revenues and cutting off military equipment supplies amid "reckless" Russian air strikes that violated NATO airspace over Poland and damaged the Government House in Kyiv .

The British government's website reports that the sanctions list includes such tankers as Mikhail Ulyanov, Kirill Lavrov, Nevskiy Prospect, Murmansk, Valentin Pikul, Vasily Dinkov, Ivan Aivazovskiy, Gazpromneft Zuid East, Gazpromneft Nordeast, Shturman Ovtsyn, Shturman Shcherbinin and dozens of others.

"The UK has already imposed sanctions on more oil tankers than any other country," the British government said.

In addition, the sanctions affected dozens of organizations and individuals who support the Russian military machine by supplying electronics, chemicals and explosives for the production of missiles and other weapons systems.

Among them are enterprises of the Russian defense industry: ikar Design Bureau, Mytishchi Instrument-Making Plant, Sarapul Radio Plant, Zvukotekhnika Research and Production Enterprise, Sinvent Research Institute of Technical Systems, Russian Institute of Power Radio Engineering, soliton Research Institute, Proton Production Association, Poisk Research and Production Association, Mezon, Recond and Elekond plants, as well as Bryansk Chemical Plant, Redkin Research Plant, RusPolymet and Technodynamics companies.

The sanctions list also includes foreign entities that helped Moscow circumvent Western restrictions. These are Turkey's Mastel Makina Ithalat Ihracat, India's Hayers Infotech, and eight Chinese companies: Jin Tang Technology, Scorpion's Holding Group, Xin Yu, Bin Yin, Soguzo, Phaeton Group, Tecgr, and Shenzhen Blue Hat International Trade.

The Foreign Secretary also announced the allocation of 142 million pounds of British aid to support Ukraine through the winter and into 2026.

100 million pounds earmarked to restore critical water and heating systems and support those affected.

42 million pounds to help repair power grids and protect gas and electricity infrastructure as winter weather sets in.

• On Friday, new sanctions against Russia were also announced by Japan, which joined the lowered price threshold for Russian oil.