The US introduced personal sanctions against Belarusian security forces

The United States imposed sanctions against eight Belarusian officials, including the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other security officials, according to the website of the US Treasury.

Among those against whom the United States imposed personal sanctions are Interior Minister Yuri Karaev and his deputies - Commander of the Internal Troops Yuri Nazarenko, as well as deputies Khazalbek Atabekov and Alexander Barsukov. Also on the list are the head of the capital's riot police, Dmitry Balaba, the head of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of the Minsk City Executive Committee, Ivan Kubrakov, the secretary of the Central Election Commission of Belarus, Elena Dmukhailo, and the deputy head of the CEC of the CEC, Vadim Ipatov. Interestingly, the head of the Belarusian CEC, Lidia Yermoshina, is not on the sanctions list.

Earlier, the summit of heads of state of the European Union approved the sanctions list , which includes 44 persons in Belarus. The financial accounts of those on the list will be frozen, they will also be banned from entering the EU. The list does not include the current head of the country, Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus responded by announcing its own sanctions against unnamed European officials, while the Russian Foreign Ministry said it would join them in accordance with "allied commitments."