EXTREMISMU.S. Sanctions Members of Russian Violent Extremist Group

On Wednesday, 15 June, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designating two key supporters of the ethnically motivated violent extremist group known as the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. RIM was previously designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization on April 7, 2020 for having provided training for acts of terrorism. Concurrent with OFAC’s action today, the U.S. Department of State also designated an individual for posing a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism.

“The Russian Imperial Movement has sought to raise and move funds using the international financial system with the intent of building a global network of violent groups that foster extremist views and subvert democratic processes,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “RIM and its supporters continue to exacerbate Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine through their fundraising efforts. We will continue to identify opportunities to disrupt networks of racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists who seek to train, fundraise, or recruit across borders and prevent the international financial system from becoming an incubator of violent extremist activity.”

Wednesday’s action implements the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism and specifically targets a Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist (REMVE) group that has reached out to individuals in the United States. OFAC, in coordination with the Department of State, other components of the federal government, and foreign allies, will continue to identify entities and individuals that meet the criteria for designation as SDGTs pursuant to the national strategy.

RIM Supporters
Stanislav Shevchuk, a Europe-based representative of RIM, travelled to the United States in 2017 with the objective of establishing connections between RIM and far-right extremist and white nationalist groups. He has also spoken on behalf of RIM at rallies in Europe and advocated publicly for the group throughout Europe as recently as 2019.

Alexander Zhuchkovsky, a Russia-based supporter of RIM, has repeatedly used his account on Russia-based social media platform VK, formerly known as VKontakte, to fundraise and recruit for RIM. Since 2014, Zhuchkovsky has raised over 200 million rubles to purchase weapons and military equipment for RIM and other pro-Russian fighters in the Donbas in Ukraine and has facilitated the travel of RIM fighters to the region. Since Russia began its unprovoked war against Ukraine in February 2022, Zhuchkovsky has continued using his social media accounts and online payment methods to purchase military equipment and supplies for Russian fighters carrying out the invasion of Ukraine and continued fighting in the Donbas Region. Zhuchkovsky has also taught at RIM’s Partizan training center in St. Petersburg, Russia, where participants receive training to conduct acts of terrorism and violence.

Stanislav Shevchuk is being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, RIM. Alexander Zhuchkovsky is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, RIM.

Concurrently with Treasury’s designations, the Department of State designated Swedish national Anton Thulin pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for his continued pursuit of terrorist training, even after serving his prison sentence for his 2017 attacks in Sweden, which demonstrates that he continues to be a terrorism threat.