Russia has added 398 members of the United States Congress to its travel ban list, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
"In response to another 'wave' of anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the administration of [US President] Joe Biden on March 24 of this year against 328 lawmakers of the State Duma ... which ... constitutes almost its entire composition, 'mirror' sanctions are introduced against 398 members of the House of Representatives of the US Congress," the ministry said in a statement, according to Russian media.
The ministry added that Russia plans to expand its travel ban list in the near future.
The development comes after US President Joe Biden approved USD 800 million in new military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery and helicopters, amid the Russia Ukraine war.
Apart from that Russia also imposed sanctions against 87 members of the Senate of Canada.
"In response to the decision of the Canadian authorities .. on the inclusion of the entire composition of the Russian Federation Council ... in the 'black list' of persons subject to sanctions restrictions, including a ban on entry into the country, countermeasures are introduced on the basis of reciprocity against the current senators of the Canadian parliament," the ministry said yesterday.
Moscow has also expelled a senior Czech diplomat in a tit-for-tat response to Prague, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry mentioned that it summoned the Czech ambassador earlier in the day to protest Prague's recent decision on expelling a senior Russian diplomat.
"The ambassador was handed a note from the ministry about the announcement of a senior diplomat of the Czech embassy in Moscow a persona non grata in response, who was ordered to leave the territory of Russia before the end of the day on April 16," the ministry said in a statement.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces.
( With inputs from ANI )
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