WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The United States on Thursday (March 3) imposed sanctions against Russian oligarchs as it targeted Russia's super-rich and others close to President Vladimir Putin, further ratcheting up financial pressure over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The United States imposed full blocking sanctions on eight oligarchs and officials, including Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, taking aim at those who have amassed fortunes and political influence through their connections to Mr Putin.

"We want (Putin) to feel the squeeze, we want the people around him to feel the squeeze," White House spokesman Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday.

The sanctions are the latest in a series announced by Washington, including against Mr Putin and Russia's central bank, after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

Washington imposed sanctions on Mr Usmanov, founder of Russian mining company Metalloinvest, whom the White House described as a "one of Russia's wealthiest individuals and a close ally of Putin."

The sanctions block his property from use in the US and by US persons, including his luxury yacht, which the White House said was seized by Germany, and his private jet.

The US Treasury Department took the rare step of including in what are normally textual news releases a pair of photos of Mr Usmanov's super-yacht and private jet.

Also targeted were:

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, whom the White House accused of being "a top purveyor of Putin's propaganda"

• Nikolay Tokarev, chief executive of energy giant Transneft, along with his wife, daughter and his two luxury real estate companies

• Billionaire brothers Boris and Arkady Rotenberg and several family members, as was Igor Shuvalov, a Russian politician and Mr Putin's former deputy prime minister who heads the State Development Corp.

• Yevgeniy Prigozhin, previously targeted for alleged attempts to interfere in US elections, was designated again. The Treasury described him as the Russian financier of the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and said his "influence apparatus is reportedly supporting Russian Government designed influence operations within Ukraine."

Targeting disinformation

In addition to sanctions against Russian elites, the Treasury designated 26 Russia- and Ukraine-based individuals and seven Russian entities, some linked to Russian intelligence services, accused of spreading disinformation aimed at destabilizing the Ukrainian government.

The US will also impose visa restrictions on 19 Russian oligarchs, their family members and associates, the White House said in a statement.

Thursday's action helps bring the United States in line with measures the European Union took earlier this week.

The EU on Monday imposed sanctions on 26 prominent people over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including oligarchs and business people active in the oil, banking and finance sectors. The EU measures included Peskov and Usmanov.

Britain on Thursday also imposed sanctions on Usmanov and Shuvalov.

Thursday's measures come after the US Justice Department on Wednesday launched a task force known as "KleptoCapture" aimed at straining the finances of Russia's oligarchs.

The US and its allies last week announced they would launch a task force to identify and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs.

The State Department named the 22 Russian defense-related entities that the White House had announced on Wednesday would be hit with sanctions. The targeted firms include Kurganmashzavod, which makes infantry fighting vehicles, and Makeyev State Missile Center, which produces missiles.

Washington has repeatedly warned that it is prepared to take further measures to hold Moscow to account over its invasion of Ukraine.

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Joe Biden said the US would work to seize the yachts, luxury apartments and private jets of wealthy Russians with ties to Mr Putin.

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