Ukraine war: Putin's rumoured girlfriend hit with latest US sanctions

A new round of US sanctions targeting Russian elites includes a woman named in news reports as Vladimir Putin's longtime romantic partner.

The Treasury Department said Tuesday that the government has frozen the visa of Alina Kabaeva, an Olympic gymnast in her youth and imposed other property restrictions. The department said she is also head of a Russian national media company that promotes Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Critics of the Kremlin and imprisoned Russian rights campaigner Alexey Navalny have been calling for sanctions against Kabaeva, saying her news outlet took the lead in portraying Western commentary on the invasion as a disinformation campaign.

The UK sanctioned Kabaeva in May and the EU imposed travel and asset restrictions on her in June.

Also watch: 21 Chinese military planes fly into Taiwan as US House Speaker Pelosi visits