WASHINGTON: The United States has announced new sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The penalties include cutting off Western advertising from Russia's three biggest television stations, banning US accounting and consulting firms from providing services to any Russian and more restrictions on Russia's industrial sector.
Those additional restrictions included cutting off Moscow from wood products, industrial engines, boilers, bulldozers and more. The US also says the Group of Seven leading industrialized powers have committed to phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil.
The US announced its own ban on Russian oil and energy products in March but the US had few Russian energy imports compared to Europe.
The new round of sanctions will hit three of Russia's most popular television stations - Channel One Russia, Russia-1 and NTV -- which the US says have been forefront of spreading misinformation about Russia invasion of Ukraine.
The US says it has imposed some 2,600 visa restrictions on Russian and Belarusian officials and issued a new visa restriction policy that applies to Russian military officials and authorities suspected of human rights abuses or corruption.
The US also sanctioned 27 executives from Gazprombank, a bank that facilitates sales by Russia's energy giant Gazprom.