Response to the UK sanctions against FSB employees, allegedly involved in the incident with the founder of the FBK (included the Ministry of Justice in the register of organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent and recognized as an extremist organization) Alexey Navalny, may be asymmetric. This option was allowed by director of the Second European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Belyaev. It quotes TASS.
“The reaction from our side will follow, what it will be, this is another question, it can be asymmetric, but always [it will be adequate,” the diplomat promised. He also noted that London measures were thoughtless and did not have grounds for them.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow will not need to be sanctified. The minister also reported on the desire of the Kremlin to find out the details of the information classified by the West in the founder of the FBK.
On August 20, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry of Maria Zakharov called the actions of the British government to manipulation. She noted that the United Kingdom played a “leading role” in history with Navalny. Later, the diplomat promised the rigid and adequate response of the Russian side to the US actions, which also expanded sanctions in connection with the Navalny affair.
On August 20, London introduced sanctions against seven employees of the FSB, which considered involved in the incident with Navalny. Individuals who fell under restrictions will not be able to visit the United Kingdom and open accounts in British banks. Later, the United States in connection with the Navalny affairs added to the sanctions lists of the Ninter FSB employees, as well as the FSB Institute of Criminalistics and the Institute of Experimental Military Medicine.