The United States has imposed sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, including his daughters.
The list also includes the family of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and major banks.
The measures follow new revelations of atrocities by Russian troops in Ukraine, including images of bodies of civilians scattered on the streets of Bucha, near the capital Kyiv.
Russia says, without evidence, the images are staged by Kyiv officials.
Even though satellite images have shown the civilians were killed when Russians were in control of Bucha, Mr Putin on Wednesday described the event as a “crude and cynical provocation by the Kyiv regime”.
Asked why the US was targeting Mr Putin’s daughters, a senior Biden administration official said the US thought they could be in control of some of their father’s assets.
The US sanctions announced by the White House include: economic measures to ban new investment in Russia severe financial sanctions on Russia’s largest private bank, Alfa Bank, and its largest financial institution, Sberbank.
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