Canada has announced sanctions against 39 Russians and 25 Russian organisations as part of the latest measures aimed at punishing Moscow for its aggression in Ukraine.

According to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, the country is imposing sanctions on 20 individuals and 21 organizations associated with Russia's military-industrial complex, as well as 19 individuals and 4 organisations in the Russian cultural and educational sectors.

These sanctions specifically target Russian individuals and entities linked to the Wagner Group and so-called "volunteer organisations" supporting Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.

The list includes Wagner Group figureheads who have been active in both Ukraine and Africa, including Ivan Maslov, the head of the Wagner Group branch who contributed to the massacre of civilians that took place in Moura, Mali, in March 2022.

Canada will also launch a new programme for permanent residency for Ukrainian refugees.

The country is imposing sanctions on leaders of Russia's nuclear sector to increase pressure on the Kremlin’s reckless actions in Ukraine that have significantly increased the risk of a nuclear incident, particularly at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as stated by Joly.

The sanctions also target a number of Russian persons involved in the Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle development, manufacturing and supply chain.

Canada is also sanctioning persons who support the Kremlin’s efforts to Russify Ukraine's culture. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has repeatedly used Russian celebrities to promote its so-called special military operation in the country through music, concerts and other events.

These sanctions target Russian singers, actors and filmmakers, as well as entities and senior officials in Russia's cultural sector, such as the Minister of Culture and the leaders of major museums, and are in direct response to these efforts to impose Russian culture and education in the parts of Ukraine currently under Russia's temporary occupation.

The sanctioned entities include the payment system "MIR," the bank "Tinkoff," mobile operators "Megafon," MTS, "Tele2," and "Beeline," as well as the Russian Ministries of Culture and Education and their heads.

The list also includes producer Yevgeny Prigozhin, actor Ivan Okhlobystin, and director Nikita Mikhalkov, as well as musicians Timati and Valeriya.

Earlier on Thursday, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and companies linked to the violent actions of the Russian Wagner PMC in Mali, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Sudan.

The UK also removed Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov from its sanctions list, created in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.