Putin remains defiant as Russian companies such as Sberbank and Gazprom are barred from western capital in dramatic sanctions over Ukraine
Armoured Russian vehicle seen inside Ukraine
Despair in Luhansk after weeks of fire, fighting and Grads
Russias largest banks, oil producers and defence companies will be cut off from international finance and technology under sweeping new economic sanctions announced by the US and Europe that substantially escalate western political pressure over Ukraine.
In coordinated moves that may unnerve already jittery financial markets, the US Treasury and European Union announced on Friday that Russias largest bank, Sberbank, would be barred from accessing their capital markets for any long-term funding, including all borrowing over 30 days.