Great Britain today imposed sanctions on Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, as part of a new series of measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The 75-year-old Patriarch of Moscow, who was recently blacklisted by the EU, is being “sanctioned for his support for Putin’s war”, the British Foreign Office clarified in a statement.

The sanctions imposed today, which include a ban on entry to British territory and an asset freeze in Britain, also target Maria Lvova - Belova, the Kremlin’s commissioner for children’s rights, because of ” the forced adoption and transfer of Ukrainian children”.