Japan will enforce additional sanctions against Russia over alleged "war crimes" in Ukraine, banning imports of coal and vodka, freezing assets held by major lenders Sberbank and Alfa Bank and halting new investments, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday.

The five-point sanctions list is part of Japan's latest efforts to add economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia to prevent further escalation of the war in Ukraine and bring about a cease-fire, Kishida told a press conference.

The government will expand the scope of individuals subject to Japan's asset freeze to around 550 from the current 400, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and his subordinates, who the leaders of the Group of Seven advanced nations called "the architects" of the aggression that began in late February.

The newly added Sberbank and Alfa Bank, Russia's largest stated-owned and private lenders, have also been targeted by a new set of U.S. sanctions announced earlier in the week.

"Russia has committed repeated violations of international humanitarian law by killing civilians and attacking nuclear power plants," Kishida said.

"We will be implementing powerful sanctions to stop a further escalation, realize a cease-fire as soon as possible and end the invasion," Kishida said.

To hold Russia accountable for its "cruel and inhumane" acts, Japan supports an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the aggression that began in late February, he said.

Shortly before Kishida's press conference, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that it will expel eight Russians, including diplomats from Japan, joining similar moves by the United States and European nations.

Japan's raft of economic and financial sanctions, broadly in line with other G-7 members, could risk significantly worsening bilateral ties with Russia after years of efforts to resolve a territorial dispute and sign a postwar peace treaty.

The alleged killings by Russia of innocent civilians in areas near Kyiv have prompted Japan to go further in punishing Moscow and target the Russian energy sector, seen as a tough choice for a nation that relies heavily on imports to satisfy domestic energy needs.

==Kyodo

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