The United States on Tuesday imposed fresh sanctions on Russia, targeting Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast the U.S. Treasury described as having a close relationship with President Vladimir Putin, and Russian companies as part of Washington's latest response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The Treasury said in a statement that Kabaeva heads the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin group of media organizations. Putin has denied they are romantically linked.
The latest round of sanctions also targets Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Magnitogorskiy Metallurgicheskiy Kombinat (MMK), one of the world's largest steel producers, as well as the majority owner and chairman of the board of directors, Viktor Rashnikov, the Treasury said.
