Switzerland has announced a significant tightening of its sanctions against Russia, effective from Thursday.

The new measures prohibit political parties, NGOs, and media from accepting donations from the Russian government, aiming to limit Russian influence on Swiss democratic processes.

Additionally, export restrictions on goods that could bolster Russia's military and technological capabilities have been intensified, with 61 new entities added to the list of those affected.

The sanctions also ban banks from using alternatives to the SWIFT payment system and prohibit investments in Russian LNG projects under construction.

Despite these measures, the Swiss government faced criticism for not adopting sanctions against subsidiaries of commodity traders, arguing existing laws suffice to address such issues.