Kamala Harris
Kamala HarrisChris Kleponis/POOL via CNP/InSt via Reuters Connect

Russia on Thursday slapped travel bans on US Vice President Kamala Harris, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and dozens of prominent Americans and Canadians in retaliation for sanctions imposed over Ukraine, AFP reported.

The Russian foreign ministry said the travel restrictions on 29 Americans and 61 Canadians -- which also includes defense officials, business leaders and journalists from both countries -- would remain in effect indefinitely.

The list of Americans also includes ABC News television presenter George Stephanopoulos, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, and the Russia-focused Meduza news site's editor Kevin Rothrock.

The US defense officials on the list include Pentagon spokesman John Kirby and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

The list of Canadians is headed by Cameron Ahmad, who serves as director of communications to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Canadian Special Operations Forces Commander Steve Boivin.

Last month, Russia imposed sanctions on US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as against Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA chief William Burns, President Biden's son Hunter Biden, Hilary Clinton, and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Russia's communications regulator has recently blocked Facebook, owned by Zuckberberg, in response to what it said were restrictions of access to Russian media on its platform.

A Moscow court later banned both Facebook and Instagram for what it deemed “extremist activity” in a case against their parent company, Meta.

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of the Seventh Day of Passover in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)