Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Monday that it added a number of British politicians and journalists to Russia’s list of people banned from entering Russia. The names and number of people subject to the new entry ban are unknown.

According to Russia’s foreign ministry, the new entry bans are a response to hostility from the British. The Russian foreign ministry stated that British media instilled Russophobia, spread disinformation about Russia and portrayed important Russian socio-political events inaccurately and negatively.

Russia’s foreign ministry called on Britain to cease its military support for Ukraine, stating that it led to civilian casualties and prolonged neo-Nazism in Kyiv, Ukraine. The UK pledged £12.5 billion in aid to Ukraine since February 2022, of which £7.6 billion went toward military assistance.

Previously on May 8, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly announced that the UK would expel an “undeclared” Russian military intelligence officer, accusing the defense attaché of espionage. Cleverly also said that, alongside the expulsion, a wave of sanctions against Russia would be introduced to “dismantle Russian intelligence gathering operations in the UK.” On April 26, UK authorities charged Dylan Earl with conducting hostile activity to benefit Russia following the Crown Prosecution Service authorization. Earl’s criminal conduct allegedly benefitted the Russian state to the detriment of Ukraine. It included plotting and paying for an arson attack on two Ukrainian-linked London sites that took place on March 20. Earl was charged with aggravated arson, preparatory conduct to endanger life and assisting a foreign intelligence service, including agreeing to undertake espionage work himself and recruit others to do the same.