YEOVIL MP Marcus Fysh has said he is "fully supportive" of tough sanctions against Russia following its "unacceptable" invasion of Ukraine.
Russia launched its invasion, described as “full-scale” by Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, on Thursday, February 24.
This morning (Tuesday, March 1), satellite images showed the extent of Russian forces' push towards Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv.
The images showed that a convey threatening Kyiv occupied much of a 40-mile stretch of road north of the Ukrainian capital - making it much larger than previously thought.
The images were taken after more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, according to a post by the head of the region, Dmytro Zhyvytsky, on Telegram.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, "the Russian advance on Kyiv has made little progress over the past 24 hours, probably as a result of continuing logistical difficulties".
The ministry's intelligence update also said: "Russian forces have increased their use of heavy artillery north of Kiev and in vicinities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv.
"The use of heavy artillery in densely populated areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties.
"Russia has failed to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine, prompting a shift to night operations in an attempt to reduce their losses."
Latest Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/1Ynzlps2dY
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 1, 2022
On Tuesday, February 22 - before Russia launched its invasion - the UK sanctioned three British banks and five Russian billionaires in what Boris Johnson described as the "first tranche" of measures.
On Monday, the British Government "announced its intention to take further restrictive economic measures in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia by targeting the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBR)".
A statement from the Treasury and the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said the Government will "take further restrictive economic measures in response to the invasion" by targeting the bank "in concert with the US and the European Union".
The sanctions will prohibit UK persons from undertaking financial transactions involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Russian National Wealth Fund, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.
It also imposed restrictions against Russian financial institutions and a set of measures to strengthen British trade restrictions against Russia.
Speaking about the new sanctions, chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "These measures demonstrate our determination to apply severe economic sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
"We are announcing this action in rapid coordination with our US and European allies to move in lock step once more with our international partners, to demonstrate our steadfast resolve in imposing the highest costs on Russia and to cut her off from the international financial system so long as this conflict persists."
In a statement issued to the Chard and Ilminster News on Thursday, Marcus Fysh MP said: "I am fully supportive of tough sanctions against this unacceptable action by Putin’s Russia."
Read more: ‘I’m realising this is the new reality’: How life in Ukraine has changed
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