Moscow: Russia responded on Friday to the 19th package of European sanctions by imposing a ban on the entry of a number of representatives of EU member states and institutions. In an official statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared that Moscow had expanded its sanctions list to include employees of law enforcement agencies and government institutions in the European Union and other Western countries responsible for providing military assistance to Ukraine.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Brussels' "hostile measures" will not affect Moscow's policy, which will continue to defend its national interests, as noted in the statement. Furthermore, the Russian Foreign Ministry separately conveyed a strong protest to the Japanese embassy in Moscow regarding military exercises conducted on Japanese territory near the Russian border. This activity was described as a security threat to the Russian Far East region.
The statement also mentioned that Russia reserves the right to take necessary security measures in response, including actions related to the deployment of the American "Typhon" missile system during the Japan-US joint exercises.