Russia updates sanctions list to include several American Jews including three Chabad rabbis

• Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, Chairman of the Board of Agudas Chassidei Chabad

• Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Secretary of Agudas Chassidei Chabad

• Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, Member of the Board of Agudas Chassidei Chabad

Chabad says that they were likely included because the organisation has long attempted to recover its collection of Jewish and Chassidic books and manuscripts that were seized by the Soviet Union.

Last week, a lawyer for Chabad said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had reinvigorated efforts to recover the sacred materials, which are known as the Shneerson library and archive, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.

This is due to the fact that the US efforts to seize Russian assets in the wake of the invasion is seen to strengthen Chabad’s own attempts to seize Russian wealth to pay off court fines the country owes for not returning the texts totalling over $165 million.

Among other prominent American Jews sanctioned by Russia was Jewish director and writer Rob Reiner, who is believed to have been included for his work on “Investigate Russia" an American website cataloguing Russia's links to the 2016 US presidential election.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement accompanying the updated sanctions list: “In the context of response to the constantly imposed anti-Russian sanctions by the United States and in connection with incoming requests about the personal composition of our national ‘stop list’, the Russian Foreign Ministry publishes a list of American citizens who are permanently banned from entering the Russian Federation.

“We emphasise that the hostile actions taken by Washington, which boomerang against the United States itself, will continue to receive a proper rebuff.”