From RIA Novosti:  Moscow has prepared a blacklist of U.S. officials who will be banned from travelling to Russia in response to a U.S. blacklist of Russian officials linked to the controversial death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in detention, Russian daily Kommersant reported on Wednesday. . . .

The Russian blacklist consists of several dozen U.S. officials, including those linked to the trials of Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who is prosecuted in the United States on charges of arms trafficking, and Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot convicted of drug dealing in the United States, Kommersant said, quoting unidentified officials. . . .

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Kommersant that a "draft" blacklist of U.S. officials was being discussed, which included "people linked to problems in Russian-U.S. relations, including those on humanitarian tracks."

"Any U.S. citizen responsible for violating the rights of Russian citizens may be included in this list," Ryabkov said. He described the U.S. move to introduce sanctions against the Russian officials as a significant blow to bilateral relations.  (photo: Reuters)