United Kingdom imposes sanctions over Russian child deportations and interference
Date of publication: May 15, 2026
The United Kingdom, acting through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the sanctions minister, has announced a new package of Russia-related sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in the forced deportation and militarisation of Ukrainian children and in malign information operations, including electoral interference activities.
The new measures designate:
- A total of 85 individuals and entities involved in hostile Russian activity, including the forced deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children and information warfare campaigns
- 29 targets linked specifically to Russia's systematic campaign to forcibly deport and militarise Ukrainian children, including organisations operating facilities where children are subjected to military training and pro‑Kremlin ideology
- 56 additional targets responsible for the Kremlin's information warfare, including 49 individuals working for the Social Design Agency and persons and entities associated with ANO Dialog, both of which have been tasked and funded by the Russian Presidential Administration to conduct malign influence and interference operations, including in Armenia
- The Centre for Military Sports Training and Patriotic Education of Youth (the "Warrior Centre"), which operates a network of facilities across Russia and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and subject’s Ukrainian children to military training and pro‑Kremlin indoctrination
- Yulia Sergeevna Velichko, Minister for Youth Policy in the so‑called "Luhansk People's Republic", for her role in state‑led initiatives for the deportation, indoctrination and "Russification" of Ukrainian children, including the issuance of Russian passports and exposure to Russian ideology
The measures are accompanied by an additional £1.2 million in UK funding for the Verification Centre and the Ukrainian‑led Tracing Mechanism to help identify, trace and locate Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred or deported, including those sent to re‑education camps.
Since the start of Russia's full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK has sanctioned over 3,300 targets linked to Russia's war effort and malign activity. The UK notes that over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia or within temporarily occupied territories, with an estimated 6,000 taken to re‑education camps where they are subjected to propaganda designed to erase Ukrainian identity and instil pro‑Russian militarised beliefs.
Conclusion
These measures further intensify UK pressure on Russia's apparatus of child deportation and information warfare and expand the network of individuals and entities subject to asset freezes and related restrictions. Companies should continue to screen business partners and counterparties against the updated UK sanctions lists, paying particular attention to newly designated Russian state‑linked entities, media and influence organisations, and officials connected to occupied Ukrainian territories.
These changes have been updated in ONESOURCE Global Trade Content. For more information on how ONESOURCE Global Trade solutions can assist you in managing restricted party screening, please contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager.