MOSCOW, June 15 (RAPSI) – Russia has put 49 UK citizens, including defense officials and mass media representatives, on its retaliatory stop list, according to the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation.

The measures have been taken in response to the sanctions imposed by the British parliament on Russian journalists and top managers of leading defense industry’s companies, the statement reads.

Thus, 29 UK journalists were banned from entering Russia, including editor-in-chief at The Guardian Katharine Viner, The Times editor John Witherow, editor of The Daily Telegraph Chris Evans, chairman of the BBC Richard Simon Sharp, Director-General of the BBC Timothy Douglas Davie, Independent editor Christian Broughton.

The enlisted journalists are involved in the intended distribution of false and lop-sided information about Russia and all that's happening in Ukraine and Donbass. They also fuel anti-Russian prejudice in the British society, the Russian Foreign Ministry states.

Moreover, Russia’s restriction list includes 20 UK citizens related to the defense complex, such as Deputy Defense Minister Jeremy Quin, a British Conservative Party politician serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, British defense complex officials take part in the adoption of decisions concerning the delivery of arms to Ukraine, which are used by Ukrainian nationalists and death-squads for killing civilian population and destroying civil infrastructure.