Russia says may retaliate after new round of UK sanctions

[December 12, 2020]    MOSCOW (Reuters) - A new round of British sanctions against Russian individuals over alleged human rights abuses in Chechnya is "unfounded" and Moscow may retaliate, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

The British flag flies on the embassy building in front of the Moscow International Business Center, also known as "Moskva-City", in Moscow, Russia March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva

"Undoubtedly, this politically-charged demarche will have a negative impact on Russian-British interstate relations," the ministry said, adding Russia "reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures."

Britain said on Thursday it was imposing sanctions on 11 individuals, including security figures and officials from Russia, Venezuela, Pakistan and Gambia, in a coordinated move with the United States on human rights violations.

(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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