WASHINGTON, May 16. /TASS/. The US authorities introduced sanctions against two Russian citizens and three Russia-based companies for their alleged involvement in military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, according to a statement by the US Treasury.

"Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing sanctions on two Russian individuals and three Russia-based entities for facilitating weapons transfers between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)," the document says.

In particular, Rafael Gazaryan and the companies Trans Kapital and Rafort allegedly associated with him are blacklisted. The restrictions will also affect Alexey Budnev and the Tekhnologiya company allegedly owned by him.

Inclusion on the sanctions list means freezing assets in the United States and prohibiting American citizens and companies from doing business with those involved.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has repeatedly stressed that accusations by Western countries of illegal military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang are unfounded and unsubstantiated. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously called Washington's allegations that Pyongyang is providing military assistance to Moscow rumors.