UK sanctions Russian officials who enlisted criminals to fight in Ukraine

Prisoners – including murderers and sex offenders – were offered pardons from President Vladimir Putin if they agreed to sign up to fight in Ukraine.

British foreign secretary James Cleverly has announced sanctions against 22 Russians, including senior prison officials who helped to enlist convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine (James Manning/UK)

Senior Russian prison officials who helped to enlist convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine have been targeted in the latest round of UK sanctions, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has said.

Arkady Gostev, director of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, and Dmitry Bezrukikh, head of the Federal Punishment Service of the Rostov region, are among 22 officials to be made the subject of asset freezes and travel bans.