US Imposes Sanctions on Hundreds of Individuals and Entities Allegedly Linked to Conflict in Ukraine

The United States announced on Dec. 12 that it has sanctioned hundreds of individuals and entities allegedly connected to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The State and Treasury Departments in total sanctioned more than 250 Russian entities and individuals allegedly tied to the war, which started in February 2022.

The State Department sanctioned more than 100 Russian individuals and entities.

“The United States and its allies and partners are united in our continued support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal war,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to promote accountability for Russia’s crimes in Ukraine and those who finance and support Russia’s war machine,” he continued.

Additionally, the State Department announced it has sanctioned entities that are allegedly part of the trafficking of military items from North Korea to Russia.

The Treasury Department sanctioned more than 150 individuals and entities tied to the invasion.

“The Kremlin has steadily turned Russia into a wartime economy, but Putin’s war machine cannot survive on domestic production alone,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

‘Tighten the Vise’

“Our sanctions today continue to tighten the vise on willing third-country suppliers and networks providing Russia the inputs it desperately needs to ramp up and sustain its military-industrial base,” she continued.

The individuals and entities sanctioned are connected to Russia, China, Turkey, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Switzerland, Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, and Tajikistan.

Entities tied to China in this latest round of U.S. sanctions include Beijing Yunze Technology Co., Ltd., which has allegedly “provided Russian companies with access to Chang Guang’s remote sensing satellites to support imagery of ‘conflict zones,'” according to Treasury, which also sanctioned Chang Guang, a satellite technology company.

South Korean national Dongjin Lee, according to Treasury, is a crucial procurement agent for Russia-based AK Microtech, which was sanctioned by Washington in July.

The firm “specializes in transferring foreign semiconductor technology to Russian microelectronics production companies, including entities that provide microelectronics to the Russian defense industry.”

Russia-based entities targeted in the latest round of sanctions include AO IEMZ Kupol, which “is Russia’s leader in the production of anti-aircraft defense equipment used by the Russian Ministry of Defense and is contracted to supply the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system to Russian forces,” according to Treasury.

It also included Aerokon, which “develops and produces the airframe as a sub-contractor to AO IEMZ Kupol in its effort to develop and produce Russian one-way attack [unmanned armored vehicles],” according to Treasury.

The sanctions come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington on Dec. 12 to appeal to Congress to continue to support Kyiv.

His message to senators was that if more aid is given to the Eastern European country, it will win and that if there is no more assistance, then Russia will win, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the Senate floor.

Congress is at a standstill over further assistance to Ukraine as Republicans have demanded border security measures in exchange for assistance to Kyiv.