WAR IN UKRAINEU.S. Imposes Sanctions on Network Supplying Russia with Weapons Tech

The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of entities and individuals that it says are involved in supplying Russia with military technology to use in its war against Ukraine.

The Treasury said in a statement on November 14 that the sanctions targeted a “transnational network procuring technology that supports the Russian military-industrial complex.”

In addition, it also designated a global network of financial facilitators, enablers, and others associated with two key Kremlin-linked elites whose fortunes are intertwined with the West. In all, the actions designated 14 individuals and 28 entities, and identified eight aircraft as blocked property.

Washington has targeted sanctions at major military industrial firms in Russia and made moves to cut off exports of U.S.-made components and U.S. technologies that have been used in some of Russia’s military hardware.

This has pushed the Kremlin to seek other military suppliers such as Iran, which has supplied Moscow with drones that are said to be part of Russia’s barrage of air attacks on cities across Ukraine in recent weeks.

“The United States will continue to expose and disrupt the Kremlin’s military supply chains and deny Russia the equipment and technology it needs to wage its illegal war against Ukraine,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

“Today’s actions demonstrate Treasury’s steadfast commitment to targeting people around the world aiding [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war effort and the crony elites who bankroll his regime. Together with our broad coalition of partners, we will continue to use our sanctions and export controls to weaken Russia’s military on the battlefield and cut into the revenue Putin is using to fund his brutal invasion.”

Milandr, a Russian microelectronics company that the United States says is part of Moscow’s military research and development structure, was placed on the list, as well as three entities tied to the company and several company executives.

The sanctions also targeted the family of billionaire oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, who was already placed on the list in September, and a network of people around businesses he is linked to.

Kerimov, a trained economist who made a career investing in distressed companies in Russia, is considered to have close ties with Putin.

In May, Fiji seized a $300 million yacht he owns at the request of the United States. It is now impounded in San Diego, California.

The sanctions target Kerimov’s wife, children, and a nephew, four French real estate firms controlled by one of his daughters, and several Swiss nationals linked to Kerimov’s companies.

Among them is Swiss national Alexander-Walter Studhalter, who was placed under sanctions along with Russian businessman Murat Aliyev for their involvement in more than a dozen companies in Kerimov’s financial network, according to the Treasury Department.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Studhalter as “a key player in Kerimov’s financial network.” Blinken said he was designated along with eight Studhalter-linked entities across five European countries and two of Kerimov’s adult sons who hold leadership positions in their father’s companies.

In addition, the Treasury Department placed a block on eight small jet aircraft it said were luxury planes used by Kerimov’s family, leaving them potentially vulnerable to seizure.

The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets belonging to the foundation and generally bars Americans from dealing with it. Those dealing in certain transactions with the foundation also risk sanctions.

In response to Moscow’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, the United States will continue to disrupt Russia’s military supply chains and impose high costs on President Putin’s enablers, it said, as well as all those who support Russia’s brutality against its neighbor.

This article is reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).