US sanctions hit over 120 targets supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine
- 12 Apr 2023
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on over 120 people and entities to squeeze Russia over its war in Ukraine, targeting a private military company, a China-based firm and entities linked to state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, among others.
The sanctions, imposed by the Treasury and State departments in concert with Britain, hit entities and individuals across over 20 countries and jurisdictions, including facilitators of sanctions evasion, the State Department said in a statement.
Separately, the Treasury said it imposed sanctions on Russian financial facilitators and sanctions evaders around the world, including Turkey, United Arab Emirates and China-based people and companies.
The actions reflect an effort by the U.S. government both to broaden the web of US sanctions placed on Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and to squelch efforts to circumvent them.
One of the main targets was Russian billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov, who the Treasury described as having "at his disposal a wide network of businesses in financial safe havens and family members through which to conduct financial transactions, enabling him to potentially circumvent sanctions."
The State Department said it targeted the businessman's company, USM Holdings, along with multiple firms under it. Usmanov himself has previously been put under U.S. sanctions.
"The United States will continue to take action against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, saying this was in keeping with the G7’s "commitment to impose severe consequences on third country actors who support Russia's war in Ukraine."
Brian Nelson, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Washington and others would keep up their efforts to "disrupt evasions schemes that support Putin on the battlefield."
In addition to trying to choke the Russian economy, the United States and its allies have provided extensive weaponry to Ukraine in its 13-month effort to fend off the Russian invasion.
