U.S. slaps sanctions on Russian naval entities

FILE PHOTO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Tunisian President Kais Saied (not pictured) during the US-Africa Leaders Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, U.S. December 14, 2022. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on 10 Russian naval entities over Russian operations against Ukrainian ports, the U.S. State Department said, as Washington increases pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The action comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with President Joe Biden in Washington and delivered a speech to Congress on Wednesday, during which he thanked the United States for its support of Ukraine in the conflict and pleaded for more weapons.