WASHINGTON: The US imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia on September 30 over its annexation of a swath of Ukraine, targeting hundreds of people and businesses, including those in Russia's military-industrial complex and lawmakers.
Russian rule over 15 per cent of Ukraine was declared by Washington after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the biggest annexation in Europe since World War Two.
We want to get the international community to denounce these moves and to hold Russia accountable. "We will continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs to defend itself, undeterred by Russia's brazen effort to redraw the borders of its neighbor," Joe Biden, US President, said in a statement.
Guidance from the US Treasury and the Commerce Department warned that anyone outside Russia, including companies, that provide political, economic or material support to Moscow, faces a higher risk of sanctions.
The Treasury sanctions generally freeze the assets of those designated and prevent Americans from dealing with them.
Commerce added 57 entities to its US export blacklist in Russia and Crimea.
Treasury has imposed sanctions on 14 people in Russia's military-industrial complex, two leaders of the country's central bank, family members of top officials and 278 members of Russia's legislature to allow Russia to sham referenda and attempt to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory. Among those designated were Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, 169 of its members, and the governor of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina.
One of the targets of Russian defense procurement was a Chinese supplier accused of supporting Radioavtomatika, a US-designated Russian defense procurement firm.
Even after the invasion of Ukraine, Sinno Electronics, previously placed on the Commerce Department's entity list, maintained a relationship with the Russian firm.
Taco LLC in Armenia, Russia's Novastream Limited, a Belarusian state-owned supplier, Russian technology and defense firms, and Russian defense firms were among the companies that were designated as Russia's defense procurement.