Spanish
The government of United Kingdom announced new sanctions against 35 individuals and companies linked to the development of drones for Russia and human trafficking networks that recruit migrants to fight in Ukraine.
The UK's Secretary of State for Sanctions, Stephen Doughty, called the recruitment practice "barbaric" and stressed that London seeks to "dismantle the Russian war machine" through economic and judicial pressure.
The package includes companies established in Thailand and China that provide technology to Russia's drone industry, as well as key figures in logistics and recruitment.
Among those sanctioned are Pavel Nikitin, head of the company that developed the VT-40 drone —used massively and manufactured at low cost for Russian attacks—, and Polina Alexandrovna Azarnij, accused of facilitating the transfer of citizens from countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Morocco, Syria and Yemen to the Ukrainian front. The recruited migrants received minimal training and were deployed in precarious conditions.
The British Foreign Office detailed that, in March 2026 alone, Russia launched more than 200 drones daily over Ukrainian territory, the highest number recorded to date. Authorities anticipate that this record could be surpassed in April, in a context of intensified air strikes by Moscow.
With these sanctions, the UK seeks to obstruct the manufacture and flow of critical components and technical support, hindering Russian access to essential resources for drone production.
The sanctions regime used falls under the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions (GIMTiPS), the first international legislation aimed at combating irregular migration and organized crime in immigration matters.
This regulation allows for the sanctioning of individuals and organizations involved in human trafficking and the facilitation of illegal migratory movements, regardless of their geographical location.
The British action also responds to the use of migrants in operations whose objective is to destabilize other countries, such as Poland and Finland, where they have been transported for purposes of geopolitical pressure.
In parallel to these sanctions, cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union in terms of support for Ukraine continues to deepen. Yesterday, they advanced in talks about the possible British incorporation into the community loan of 90,000 million euros destined for Ukraine.
If it materializes, London could supply defense material to Kyiv in the next two years, strengthening industrial cooperation in the military field between both parties. This was stated in a joint statement after a meeting between the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, during the European Political Community summit in Armenia.
The loan, approved on April 23 after overcoming a blockade by Hungary, will be financed by the European Union through debt issuances in the markets. Of the total, about 30 billion euros will be allocated to cover urgent economic needs of Ukraine, while approximately 60 billion will be directed to the country's military industry.
