USA imposes sanctions against 12 companies, 10 individuals who help Kremlin evade sanctions

KYIV. Feb 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The United States has imposed sanctions on 12 companies and 10 individuals who help the Russian authorities evade Western sanctions, the press service of the U.S. Treasury Department reports.

“The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed full blocking sanctions against 22 individuals and entities across multiple countries related to a sanctions evasion network supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex,” the message reads.

It clarifies that this decision was taken in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, and is part of the U.S. strategy to systematically and intensively curb efforts to evade sanctions around the world, identify intermediaries and accomplices and restrict Russia’s access to the income necessary to wage a brutal war against Ukraine.

It is specified that today’s action targets a Russian sanctions evasion network led by Russia- and Cyprus-based arms dealer Igor Vladimirovich Zimenkov, his son Jonatan Zimenkov and a broad network of individuals and entities to enable Russian defense sales to third-country governments. Among them are the Singapore company Asia Trading & Construction PTE Limited, as well as its director Serena Bi Lin Ng, who supplied electro-optical and infrared devices to the Russian Federation after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Texel FCG Technology 2100 Limited, the Cypriot arms dealer Alexander Volfovich and his sons, and others.

The department adds that from now on all property belonging to these persons and enterprises in the United States or under the control of U.S. representatives is blocked.

“In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked,” the Treasury said.