U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo (C), said Wednesday new sanctions on sprawling third-country Russian sanctions evasion networks seek to degrade Russia’ war machine. He said the sanctions are an effort to “stop those seeking to aid their efforts through circumvention or evasion of our sanctions and export controls.” File photo by Rungroj Yongrit/ EPA-EFE
Oct. 30 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday it has sanctioned 275 individuals and entities in several countries for allegedly helping Russia avoid sanctions on its military-industrial base.
Treasury described the sanctions targets as “both individual actors and sprawling sanctions evasion networks across 17 jurisdictions, including India, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey.”
The State Department is also targeting Russian sanctions evasion networks in multiple third countries as well as several senior Russian Ministry of Defense officials and defense companies and those supporting Russia’s future energy production and exports.
“The United States and our allies will continue to take decisive action across the globe to stop the flow of critical tools and technologies that Russia needs to wage its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo in a statement. “As evidenced by today’s action, we are unyielding in our resolve to diminish and degrade Russia’s ability to equip its war machine and stop those seeking to aid their efforts through circumvention or evasion of our sanctions and export controls.”
The Treasury Department sanctions statement said, “Thanks to the unprecedented international sanctions regime implemented by the United States and its global partners, Russia is ever more reliant on complex and expensive transnational schemes to procure critical technological and manufacturing components and machinery it needs to create its own weapons production capability.”
In addition to the third-country sanctions, Treasury said it is also targeting “more than 150 Russian-based defense and related materiel technology, manufacturing, and aerospace companies that procure or produce finished military products or key components, precursors, and machinery that enable Russia to build or maintain the weaponry it uses against Ukraine.”
Turkey-based sanction targets include Mirex Havacilik ve Savunma Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Serketi and its chairman, Turkish national Ozgur Hasan Celik.
The New Way Group Global Danismanlik Ticaret Limited Sirketi company based in Turkey was also sanctioned and allegedly has ties with Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
The Treasury sanctions allege that the Russia-based Tool Company Gut Limited Liability Company has imported CNC machine tools and components into Russia from Turkey-based entities.
The sanctions announced Tuesday include Chinese Sinno Electronics executives Lin Qing (a.k.a. Becky Lin) and Peng Minbo (a.k.a. Betty Peng.)
Registered in Hong Kong, Sinno is a longtime supplier of microelectronics to Russian defense companies, according to the Treasury Department.
India-based Abhar Technologies and Services Private Limited were sanctioned for shipping high-priority dual-use technology like electronic integrated circuits to Russian end-users.
Indian company, Innovio Ventures, was sanctioned for sending more than 200 shipments to Russia, including electronic integrated circuits and multilayer ceramic capacitors.
The sanctions included the Thailand-based Bentozer Company Limited. Treasury said that company sent more than 100 shipments of equipment to Russia-based end users.
Swiss-based company ZG Optique SA was sanctioned for allegedly exporting technology to Russian company Katod, a night vision manufacturer.
“In addition to disrupting global evasion networks, this action also targets domestic Russian importers and producers of key inputs and other materiel for Russia’s military-industrial base,” the Treasury Department said.