LONDON, February 25. /TASS/. The British government has imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the wake of the Russian operation in Ukraine, according to the UK’s sanctions list updated on Friday.

The restrictions are reported to involve freezing Putin’s and Lavrov’s accounts, if any are found.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a new round of sanctions would be imposed on Russia in the wake of its military operation in Ukraine. In particular, restrictions targeted the VTB bank, Rostec, the United Aircraft Corporation, the United Shipbuilding Corporation, and Uralvagonzavod. In addition, Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot was banned from the UK. London also set a limit on the amount that Russian citizens can hold in UK bank accounts to 50,000 pounds ($66,800).

Among the individuals targeted by British sanctions, which involve asset freezes, are Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President-Chairman of the VTB Bank Management Board and the son of Director of the Russian Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov; Promsvyazbank CEO Pyotr Fradkov; Deputy Chairman of the Sibur Management Board Kirill Shamalov; Director General of the United Aircraft Corporation Yury Slyusar and Novikombank Chair (a subsidiary of the Rostec state corporation) Elena Georgieva.

The UK will prohibit high-tech exports to Russia. Moreover, the British government will restrict payment clearing with dollars and euros for Russian banks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.