Russia recently expanded its sanctions stop list to include 77 additional United States citizens. The update was disclosed by the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the evening of February 8.
The ministry explained that the newly added individuals include governors and officials who oversee state agencies in several states, as well as a number of federal departments and companies that supply weapons to the Ukrainian authorities. The statement noted that the measure targets those who support the policies of the Kiev government and those connected to the administration who are deemed complicit in the current impasse.
In its response, the State Department indicated that the stop list reflects a policy of mutual escalation. Officials stated that not only officials and politicians with anti-Russian positions are targeted, but also certain family members of those individuals, who are viewed as playing a role in supporting or enabling their public actions.
The United States cautioned that hostile actions against Russia, including any expansion of sanctions, would be met with a reciprocal response and described the potential for retaliatory measures as a boomerang that can return with impact.
Among the 77 new entries are 33 state governors, 13 state secretaries, members of the Federal Election Commission, and leaders within the Customs and Border Protection Service. The list also includes Christine Pelosi, 56, daughter of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi Jr. is described as a political strategist who has worked within the Democratic Party’s apparatus.
Also named are Peter Zvak, a former military attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and James Marks, a retired brigadier general who previously headed the U.S. Army Intelligence Center. Leidos, a major defense contractor involved in data acquisition systems and radar and missile guidance software, was placed on the sanctions list due to its ties to defense and intelligence work for the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence services. Desert Tactical Arms, now Desert Tech, a Utah-based manufacturer of advanced bullpup rifles and ammunition, is another American company affected by the latest additions.
With these new inclusions, the Russian sanctions list now covers 1,344 American individuals. They are all permanently barred from entering the territory of Russia, a measure aligned with Moscow’s broader strategy to respond to Western restrictions.
History of sanctions since 2022
Russia has increasingly used personal sanctions against Western politicians and officials as a mirror response to restrictions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and allied partners following the launch of the special operation in Ukraine. The scope of these measures has grown over time, reflecting ongoing attempts to deter Western actions and signal consequences for policy choices that Moscow views as hostile.
Notably, on March 15, 2022, then President Joe Biden and several members of his family—spouse and children as well as siblings—were placed on the stop list, alongside senior U.S. officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Deputy Homeland Security Czar Jake Sullivan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and CIA Director William Burns.
In subsequent updates, the United States included large segments of its political leadership, with the House of Representatives being listed, and later the Vice President, a spokesperson for the State Department, and other notable figures including tech leaders associated with entities previously sanctioned by Moscow. The list saw further expansion last year when additional figures linked to the military industrial complex, major media platforms, and sectors central to American cyber operations or defense modernization were added to the roster.
Throughout the fall, the sanctions regime broadened to include actors from entertainment and government communications, with public figures connected to Ukraine-related activities or the administration appearing on the blacklist. These moves illustrate a pattern of reciprocal measures that aim to broaden the scope of impact for perceived policy misalignments between Moscow and Western capitals, while signaling readiness to respond to new sanctions with parallel or escalated actions. Sources detailing the corporate and governmental entities affected emphasize the breadth of the approach and its intention to impose practical travel and business constraints for those named.