One of Reading’s MPs has been banned from entering Russia by that country’s government.

The Russian state banned 287 MPs from entering the country yesterday (Wednesday, April 28).

Among them was Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East.

Officially, Mr Rodda has been ‘sanctioned’, which means that he is no longer allowed to enter the Russian Federation.

Reacting to the news, Mr Rodda said: “The Russian Government can undertake as many political stunts as they like but my support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people wherever they are, including in Reading, is resolute and steadfast.”

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Fellow Berkshire MPs Sir John Redwood, the Conservative MP for Wokingham, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the Labour MP for Slough, and Adam Afriyie, the Conservative MP for Windsor, have also been banned from Russia.

The list of MPs who been sanctioned are available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation website.

Alok Sharma, the Conservative MP for Reading West and the President of COP 26, is not on the list.

Laura Farris, the Conservative MP for Newbury, and Theresa May, the Conservative MP for Maidenhead are not on the list either.

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The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked Mr Sharma and Mrs Farris to react to their fellow MPs being banned from Russia.

It means they may not enter the country, therefore denying them access to holiday destinations such as St Petersburg, which is on the Baltic Coast, and Moscow, the capital city.

The Russian Government has declared that the banning of the 287 MPs has been done in retaliation after UK Government banned 386 Russian politicians and officials from entering our country on Friday, March 11.

The Russian foreign ministry website states the UK MPs have been sanctioned because “hostile rhetoric and far-fetched accusations” which it claims has been used to ‘demonise’ Russia.

The Russian foreign ministry is headed by Sergey Lavrov, who has held the post since 2004.

READ MORE: Reading pledge to act to help refugees fleeing Ukraine war

Tensions between the UK and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have escalated since the Russian military engaged in an invasion of Ukraine this February.

A low level war had been raging in the country between Ukrainian defence forces and Pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

Russian military forces seized the Crimea peninsula in Ukraine that year.

The recent military invasion has drew widespread condemnation in Europe and in Reading, with the council resolving to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.

The Ukrainian community is supported in the town from the community centre in Sidmouth Street.