As Russia was hit by United States sanctions over its war on Ukraine earlier, Moscow has imposed personal sanctions against US President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other top government officials, international media reported.
Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the move was in response to a “series of unprecedented sanctions” that include barring top Russian government officials from entering the US.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley figure among those hit by Moscow’s reciprocal measures.
In the wake of Russia launching a “special military operation in Kyiv”, the US, the European Union and several other countries have announced a series of sanctions to cripple the economic and logistic base upon which the Kremlin is building the invasion.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko has imposed a 36-hour curfew which will be in place till 7 pm Thursday amid a ‘difficult and dangerous moment’.
“Residents will only be allowed to go outside to head to bomb shelters,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The announcement came as Russia launched fresh attacks in Ukraine’s capital, which has nearly been encircled by Moscow’s troops in the third week of the crisis and that has lost an estimated half of its 3.5-million pre-war population.
“Today is a difficult and dangerous moment,” former boxing champion Klitschko said in a statement. “This is why I ask all Kyivites to get prepared to stay at home for two days, or if the sirens go off, in the shelters,” he said.
The curfew from 8pm (1800 GMT) on Tuesday until7 pm (1700 GMT) on Thursday was a “decision of the military command”, he said.
It comes as the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers were travelling to Kyiv by train on Tuesday in the first visit by foreign leaders to the capital.
“Movement around Kyiv without special permits is forbidden. It is only allowed to go outside with the aim to get to the shelters,” he added. Kyiv imposed a similar curfew on February 26 just after Moscow launched its attack.
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