WASHINGTON, April 12. /TAS/. The United States has expanded its black lists regarding Russia under the pretext of attempts of new sanctioned persons to bypass sanctions and their support of the special military operation in Ukraine.
According to a statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken released on Wednesday, "the Department of State and the Department of Treasury "are imposing sanctions on more than 120 entities and individuals across more than 20 countries and jurisdictions."
Blinken says that the new restriction measures have been taken in connection with the special military operation and concern in [articular |facilitators of sanctions evasion."
"In coordination with the United Kingdom, we are targeting sanctions evasion network supporting one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires, Alisher Usmanov, who was sanctioned by the United States last year. In addition to the Usmanov-linked evasion network we are also targeting USM Holding, the primary entity through which Usmanov owns and controls the majority of his companies," Blinken noted.
In addition, according to him, sanctions are imposed on the he 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, "additional persons associated with the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom," "several entities operating in the defense sector of Russia’s economy," entities supporting the special military operation, "including a new Russian private military company and a People’s Republic of China (PRC) based firm that has provided satellite imagery of locations in Ukraine to entities affiliated with the Wagner private military company that is fighting in Ukraine on Putin’s behalf."
According to Blinken, "the United States will continue to take action against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine, including further implementing the G7’s commitment to impose severe consequences on third country actors who support Russia’s war in Ukraine."
In a separate note the US State Department specifies that restrictions are introduced against companies and other entities located, in particular, in Russia, Cyprus, China and Turkey. For example, a certain "network of Christodoulos Vassiliades" was blacklisted. This businessman is the director of the Cypriot subsidiary of Sberbank - Sberbank Investments Limited. According to the American side, he "is a prolific enabler of Russian oligarchs and is also being sanctioned by the United Kingdom." The Chinese company, which was hit by the sanctions was HEAD. The US Foreign Office says it "supplied satellite imagery of locations in Ukraine to entities affiliated with PMC Wagner and Yevgeniy Prigozhin."
The sanctions were introduced jointly by the State Department and the Treasury Department. In practice, these restrictions mean, first of all, the blocking of the blacklisted property located in the jurisdiction of the United States and the ban on interaction with them by American individuals and legal entities.