The Kremlin in Moscow     Credit: Pixabay

Government trade sanctions imposed on Russia have been expanded to prohibit UK organisations from exporting technologies used for “internal repression”.

Updated documentation published yesterday reveal that existing measures limiting trade with Russia have been bolstered to include “goods and technology” in a range of sectors.

Chief among those are technology and other goods that could potentially support “internal repression” of Russian citizens, as well as those related to “chemical and biological weapons” and the maritime sector.

The text of the legislation lists a range of items considered to be instruments of internal repression, including firearms, explosives, and military vehicles, and all related software platforms – including simulation programs. 

Related content

• Public bodies encouraged to cancel contracts with Russian suppliers
• MoD to probe how suspected Russian hoaxer finagled Teams meeting with defence secretary
• UK calls out Russia for ‘despicable’ cyberattacks on vaccine efforts

Also subject to an export embargo are “interception and monitoring services” and technology platforms. The law states that “means any service that has as its object or effect the interception of a communication in the course of its transmission by means of a telecommunication system”. It also includes “any tangible storage medium on which interception and monitoring technology is recorded or from which it can be derived”.

The beefed-up sanctions also broaden existing definitions in sanctions put in place in recent months limiting the supply of goods and technology related to oil-refining and critical industries – which already covers the telecoms industry. The newly implemented tweaks introduce additional references to goods and services related to “controlled materials” and “maritime goods and technology”.

The prohibitions cover Russia and the parts of Ukraine currently outside the control of the Ukrainian government.