The US State Department on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Russian government officials and elites, including the Russian foreign ministry’s top spokesperson and a wealthy oligarch whose actual first name is God.

       In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his department was levying sanctions on God Nisanov, who he described as “one of the richest men in Europe and a close associate of several Russian officials,” pursuant to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden which provides for sanctions on Russian oligarchs, government officials, and their family members.

       Mr Blinken said the State Department was also sanctioning Maria Zakharova, who since 2015 has been the spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry. Ms Zakharova was previously sanctioned by the European Union, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK for being "a central figure of the government propaganda” and for having “promoted the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine”.

       “President Putin’s war against Ukraine is also an attack on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, enshrined in the UN Charter. Ukraine is fighting valiantly to defend its people and its independence with unprecedented assistance from the United States and countries around the world,” Mr Blinken said. “The United States will continue to support the people of Ukraine while promoting accountability for President Putin and those enabling Russian aggression”.

       Additionally, the State Department announced it was adding several other top Russian officials to the list of those who are subject to US sanctions, including Russian transport minister Vitaly Savelyev, economic development minister Maxim Reshetnikov, construction minister Irek Faizullin, as well as Deputy Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Grigorenko.

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       Also added to the list of top Russians under US sanction was Yury Slyusar, who heads Russia’s largest military aircraft supplier, United Aircraft Corporation, on the grounds that he has been “a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the [Government of Russia] and for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy”.

       The White House said the latest round of sanctions is meant “to crack down on evasion and tighten [existing efforts] to enhance enforcement and increase pressure on Putin and his enablers”.