The United States imposed a large tranche of sanctions on more than 100 people and entities around the world for their ties to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Wednesday’s sanctions are the latest action meant to diminish Moscow’s abilities in its war in Ukraine and punish those who are supporting it, including through helping Russia to evade existing sanctions.
Sanctions on Russian billionaire and associates: The latest sanctions target a wide network tied to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who is already under sanction in multiple countries, and were taken in coordination with the United Kingdom.
According to the US Treasury Department, Usmanov “is one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires” who “holds significant interests in the metals and mining, telecommunications, and information technology sectors.”
He is “known to be close to multiple U.S.-designated, senior Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Dmitry Medvedev, current deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and former president and prime minister of Russia,” according to a statement.
Sanctions on international companies and a bank: The US also imposed sanctions on companies – based in China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates – which the US Treasury Department said are supporting Russia’s military industrial complex in defiance of existing sanctions.
The Treasury also sanctioned the International Investment Bank, “a Russia-controlled financial institution” in Budapest, as well as its Moscow-based subsidiary and several former and current executives.
“The IIB’s presence in Budapest enables Russia to increase its intelligence presence in Europe, opens the door for the Kremlin’s malign influence activities in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, and could serve as a mechanism for corruption and illicit finance, including sanctions violations,” according to the Treasury Department.
Sanctions on organizations that target children: In addition, the US State Department is sanctioning two Russian entities “that support Russia’s efforts to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine through the militarization and indoctrination of schoolchildren: The All Russian Children’s And Youth Military Patriotic Public Movement Youth Army, and the State Budgetary Educational Institution of Additional Education of the Republic of Crimea Crimea Patriot Center,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
According to the State Department, the so-called youth army was created by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and is “responsible for militarizing and propagandizing schoolchildren in occupied areas of Ukraine.”
The “Crimea Patriot Center” is “an organization whose objective is to provide youth with a ‘military-patriotic education’ in order to prepare them for service in the Russia’s Armed Forces,” it said.