Japan Approves Additional Sanctions against 398 People, 28 Organizations from Russia

In particular, deputies of the State Duma fell under sanctions.

The Japanese government has also approved a ban on new investments in Russia and will freeze assets of Sberbank and Alfa-Bank from May 12. New investments from Japan to Russia from May 12 can be made only with special permits, TASS reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a "special military operation" in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years".

The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.