Canada imposes sanctions on Russian firms suspected of illegally exporting arms to Ukraine from North Korea
Canada has once again imposed sanctions on Russians and companies that it claims are supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
These sanctions target two individuals and six shipping companies that Ottawa alleges have assisted in the illegal transportation of weapons, including ballistic missiles, from North Korea to Russia.
Global Affairs Canada asserts that these entities procured weapons used in Ukraine in the past two years, violating global sanctions against North Korea.
Ottawa further accuses these companies of having close ties to the Russian military and being involved in the transportation of weapons, prompting a ban on financial transactions with Canadians.
Canada has now sanctioned over 3,000 individuals and entities in Eastern Europe linked to the 2014 Russian incursion into Ukraine and the recent full-scale invasion in 2022.
A Senate report highlights the challenges in monitoring the enforcement of Canada’s sanctions on individuals and whether Ottawa has clearly defined objectives when imposing sanctions.
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Last week, the RCMP provided updated data on frozen funds and blocked transactions related to personal sanctions, showing minimal changes since September of last year.
Since late February 2022, sanctions against Russian individuals have resulted in $140 million being frozen in Canada, up from $136 million in the previous fall.
Furthermore, Canada has blocked transactions totaling $317 million, an increase from $305 million previously.
The latest figures indicate that $116,000 held by Belarusian nationals is now frozen, compared to zero funds frozen as of last September.
