Russia bans oil export to Ukraine

Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, on Thursday said Russia has banned exports of oil and petroleum products to Ukraine, as well as certain Ukrainian imports.

Relations between the former Soviet neighbours have been at an all-time low since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in retaliation for Kiev ousting its Kremlin-backed president.

Medvedev cast the new sanctions, which include bans on importing certain metals, consumer goods and equipment from Ukraine, as counter-measures for Ukrainian sanctions against Russia.

“We are forced to protect our interests and strike back,’’ Medvedev said at a meeting of the cabinet of ministers, Russian state news agency, TASS reported.

“Those Ukrainian imports that are now banned had amounted to about $250 million in 2018,’’ Medvedev added.