BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.

Hello, it's 741 days since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

And since the invasion, the UK has sanctioned 1,702 people, including President Putin and those

who are closest to him.

The UK has also sanctioned 298 organizations including Russian banks, media companies and political

parties.

But have a listen to this.

You cannot hurt Putin with another resolution or another set of sanctions.

That is no different from the previous ones.

You cannot defeat him by thinking he is a man of principle who has morals and rules.

He is not like that.

Alexei realized that a long time ago.

You are not dealing with a politician but with a bloody monster.

That was Yulia Novalna, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Novalne, who says that Western sanctions are not working and it's something that we keep hearing from politicians and our listeners as well.

Even though Russia has become the most sanctioned country in the world following the start

of the full-scale invasion, it's still able to import technology

for its weapons and export oil and gas which gives it a lot of money.

And so on today's episode, we're going to really look in detail about whether the sanctions are working.

If they're not, what needs to be done to make them more effective.

And what is actually impacting Russia's ability to wage war.

Plus we hear from a London-based Russian former billionaire who had his bank accounts frozen as part of a crackdown after February 2022.

This is Ukraine Cast. Ukraine Cast from BBC News. Ukraine is from babies.

...