WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions Friday on Viktor Vekselberg of Russia. This is the third family member of Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson as well as lawmakers. It was part of the most severe punishment in America for Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine.

Russia was subjected to numerous measures after it launched its invasion on February 24, the most severe attack on an EU state since World War Two. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Friday’s sanctions affected 10 Russian bankers, which is the country’s second-largest, and 12 Duma members, Russia’s lower house.

Janet Yellen, Treasury Secretary, stated that the Treasury will not stop holding Russian officials responsible for enabling Putin’s war of aggression.

Dmitry Peskov (Putin’s spokesperson) was targeted in March 3. His wife and his two children are also included in Friday’s actions. In a press release, the Treasury stated that their lifestyles were “incongruous” with Peskov’s salary as a civil servant.

Reuters reached out to the Kremlin for clarification but did not receive a response immediately.

The State Department stated that four Novikombank board members including Elena Georgieva (chair), and ABR Management, along with four other members of the board, which included Dmitri Lbedev, Bank Rossiya Chair, and Vladimir Knyaginin Vice Governor of St. Petersburg, were targeted by sanctions.

Russia’s lower chamber of parliament voted in February to request Putin to recognise two Russian-backed regions that have split from eastern Ukraine.

The sanctions list was updated Friday to include eleven of the members, as well speaker VyacheslavVolodin.

The Treasury stated that “Today’s names further hold to account the actors who were directly responsible Russia’s illegal and unlawful recognition…and facilitating the sham pretext by Putin to justify his… unprovoked military war against Ukraine.”

Volodin justified this move by saying that Kyiv wasn’t following Minsk Agreements. Our compatriots and citizens who reside in Donbass require our support and help. Minsk is a set of agreements signed in 2014 and 2015. They were intended to stop violence between prorussian separatists in east Ukraine and the Kyiv Government.

Russia refers to its actions in Ukraine as a “special operations” and says it isn’t meant to occupy any territory. Its purpose is to disarm its southern neighbour’s military capability, capture dangerous nationalists, and destroy their military capabilities.