Kremlin sanctions President Biden, his son Hunter, Blinken, Milley and Austin after US hits 11 of Russia's defense inner circle and Belarus dictator Lukashenko

 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday slapped sanctions on President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a string of senior U.S. officials as President Vladimir Putin hit back at the growing economic blockade on his regime.

Just as the Russian announcement was released, Washington was unveiling fresh sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko, Moscow's ally in Belarus, and 11 key Russian defense officials.

The Russian move effectively bars Biden and 12 other U.S. figures - including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, C.I.A. director Bill Burns - from entering Russia.

Daleep Singh, an economist on the National Security Council who is seen as the architect of sanctions on Russia, also makes the list.

And, in a sign of the way Moscow knows how to weaponize the U.S. media and embarrass Biden, it includes high-profile figures such as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki as well as the president's troubled son Hunter.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also named on the list. 

She saw the funny side.

'I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award,' she said in a tweet.

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was acting 'in response to a series of unprecedented sanctions' and was imposing its own measures 'on the basis of reciprocity.' 

The sanctions come after weeks of increasing pressure on Moscow, as the U.S. and allies try to isolate Russia and Putin's cronies. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced sanctions on 13 U.S. figures - from President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden

The sanctions mean Biden and Blinken are barred from entering Russia, but Moscow said official relations with Washington - and contacts with key officials - would continue

Hillary Clinton had a cheeky response to news that she had been sanctioned by Moscow

The mayor of Kyiv announced today a 36-hour curfew from 8pm on Tuesday until 7am on Thursday at the 'decision of the military command' after an apartment building in Kyiv was hit this morning, killing at least four people (pictured) 

Vladimir Putin's stuttering invasion has forced even his close allies to admit, publicly, that things are not going to plan but, as Russia's invasion falters, its methods become more brutal - with cities increasingly coming under indiscriminate rocket fire (pictured, a Ukrainian soldier inspects the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv on Tuesday)

Russian forces have apparently stalled in Ukraine, and have made little progress in takin the capital Kyiv. 

Instead they have kept up a bombardment of Ukrainian cities and used long-range missile to attack targets in the west of the country. 

The State Department added to its list of sanctions on Tuesday, barring Lukashenko and his family from entering the U.S. or doing business with Americans.

'Today's designations demonstrate the United States will continue to impose concrete and significant consequences for those who engage in corruption or are connected to gross violations of human rights,' said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea Gacki. 

'We condemn Russia's attacks on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and call on Russia to cease its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.'

The US has previously hit Belarus with sanctions because of its backing for the Russian invasion, extending export control policies to the country. 

Other new measures target a judge and investigator in Russia's prosecution of two outspoken critics of alleged corruption and rights abuses.

At the same time the United Kingdom said it was considering a new tranche of sanctions, while Canada took action against 15 more Russian officials.