World News | Russia Bars Kamala Harris, Mark Zuckerberg

Moscow, Apr 21 (AP) Russia's foreign ministry has announced that it has barred US Vice President Kamala Harris, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and 27 other prominent Americans from entering the country.

In a statement on its website Thursday, the ministry said that the move came as a response to “ever-widening anti-Russian sanctions” brought on by the Biden administration. It claimed to be targeting top executives, public intellectuals and journalists shaping what it referred to as “the Russophobic narrative” prevailing in US public debate.

Also Read | US Capitol Complex Evacuated as Cautionary Step Against Potential Air Threat, Says Police.

Alongside Harris and Zuckerberg, the ban includes top defense and justice officials; the CEOs of LinkedIn and Bank of America; high-profile foreign affairs commentators; as well as the editor of the Russia-focused Meduza news website.

In a statement Thursday, the ministry said that the travel bans would apply “in perpetuity” and that the sanctions list would be updated “shortly” in responsible to the “hostile actions” of Western authorities.

Also Read | US Provides USD 800 Million Additional Military Assistance to Ukraine.

Similar restrictions were imposed on 61 Canadian citizens, similarly accused of spearheading “Russophobic” policies. Those sanctioned include Cameron Ahmad, director of communications to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Canadian Special Operations Forces Commander Steve Boivin.

Also on Thursday, Russia ordered the closure of all consular missions maintained in the country by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, expelling all their non-Russian staff in retaliation to similar moves by the Baltic states.

___

Kyiv: A Ukrainian official raised the possibility of a Ukrainian airstrike against the strategically important bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland. His statement on Thursday prompted angry denouncements from top Russian political figures.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, was asked in an interview with Ukraine's Radio NV whether Kyiv would be able to hit the $4 billion Kerch bridge, which is Moscow's only direct road link to the peninsula, in order to stem the flow of military resupplies channeled through it.

“Had we been able to do it, we would have already done it,” Danilov said in response. “If there is a possibility, we will definitely do it.”

He did not clarify whether Kyiv currently has the capability to carry out an attack.

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, branded Danilov's statement “nothing else than the announcement of a possible terrorist act” and “unacceptable”.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Thursday, Peskov added that “all security measures” were in place around the Kerch bridge and “other strategic facilities”. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)