UK sanctions Belarus over its role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

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The United Kingdom on Tuesday slapped Belarus with sanctions for supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. 

The sanctions target Belarus' Chief of the General Staff and three deputy defense ministers as well as two military enterprises. 

In this handout photo provided by UK Parliament, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks in the House of Commons, London, Monday Feb. 28, 2022, as she announced new sanctions against Russia.  (Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament via AP)

"We are inflicting economic pain on Putin and those closest to him," U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement. "We will not rest until Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is restored." 

Moscow deployed forces to Belarusian territory under the pretext of joint military drills weeks before Russian troops rolled into Ukraine and began attacking. 

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Truss accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of aiding and abetting Russia’s "illegal invasion." 

"There will be nowhere to hide. Nothing – and no one – is off the table," she said. 

The U.K. government says Major General Victor Gulevich "supported and enabled" the Russian invasion of Ukraine by directing joint military exercises with Russia and consenting to the deployment of Russian troops along the border with Belarus with Ukraine. 

A Belarusian national flag flutters over a street in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr)

The other sanctioned individuals include military generals Andrei Burdyko, Sergei Simonenko, and Andrey Zhuk. State enterprises JSC 558 Aircraft Repair Plant and military semiconductor manufacturer JSC Integral are included in the sanctions. 

The U.K. government says JSC 558 provides maintenance and service to military aircraft at Baranovichi air base, from which Russian aircraft operated as part of the invasion. 

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The latest sanctions from the U.K. follow Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement last week that the U.K. will freeze assets of all major Russian banks and block Russian entities from raising money on U.K. markets as part of the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

An overview of troops at the Lesnovsky training area, near Baranovichi, Belarus, is seen in this Maxar satellite image taken on January 29, 2022.  (Courtesy of Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS)

Hundreds of Belarusians took to the streets Sunday in 15 cities across the country, protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the biggest show of defiance since mass demonstrations in 2020. 

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According to Viasna human rights center, 726 people were detained over the demonstrations. Some of them were apprehended overnight in their homes. 

Fox News’ Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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