WASHINGTON: The US imposed sweeping new measures against Moscow today over the war in Ukraine, targeting Russia’s future energy capabilities, sanctions evasion, and a suicide drone that has been a menace to Ukrainian troops and equipment, among others, in sanctions on hundreds of people and entities.
The latest measures target a major entity involved in the development, operation, and ownership of a massive project in Siberia known as the Arctic-2 LNG, the state department said in a statement. The project is expected to ship chilled natural gas, known as liquefied natural gas (LNG) to global markets.
Washington also targeted the KUB-BLA and Lancet suicide drones being used by the Russian military in Ukraine, designating a network it accused of procuring items in support of their production as well as the creator and designer of the drones.
The Biden administration added a dozen Russian companies to a trade blacklist today for supporting Russia’s military with drones that could be used to aid in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the commerce department said in a statement.
The US also cracked down on sanctions evasion in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and China, as the treasury department said companies based in the countries continue to send high priority dual-use goods to Russia, including components Moscow relies on for its weapons systems.
Seven Russia-based banks and dozens of industrial firms were also hit with sanctions by the treasury department, including Gazpromneft Catalytic Systems LLC, which the treasury said manufactures chemical agents for advanced oil refining in Russia.
The Kremlin said ahead of the action today that it expected the West to impose even tougher sanctions on it over the war, but that there was a growing sense that such penalties hurt Western interests while Russia’s economy was adapting well.
LNG, Lancet drone
With the sanctions on limited liability company Arctic LNG 2, and previous measures imposed on the project in September, the US is trying to target Russia’s upcoming energy production, similar to how it targeted its future deep-sea, shale, and Arctic oil production after Moscow’s invasion of Crimea in 2014. All of these hard-to-produce projects depend on Western technology.
The US, itself a large LNG producer that exports to Europe, is also trying to reduce Russia’s LNG shipments to Europe, which has only banned Russian gas sent via pipeline.
Arctic-2 LNG has been expecting to start exporting soon and it is uncertain how much Russian LNG would be blocked by the new measures. The largest Russian LNG producer Novatek said in September that it would start shipments from the Arctic-2 LNG early next year.
The US, European Union, and other Western nations have imposed rafts of sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, including a targeting of Russian banks and President Vladimir Putin, as the partners seek to hold Russia accountable for the conflict that has killed thousands and reduced cities to rubble.
“We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to raise the cost for Russia of waging this war and promote accountability for its atrocities and abuses in Ukraine,” US secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Today’s action marks the first measures Washington has taken directly targeting the Lancet drone, an angular grey tube with two sets of four wings that has been an increasing threat on Ukraine’s frontlines, according to Ukrainian soldiers.
Washington targeted limited liability company ZALA Aero, a Russia-based manufacturer the state department said designs, manufactures, and sells loitering munition and suicide drones to the Russian ministry of defence, as well as A Level Aerosystems CST, a Russia-based entity manufacturing and selling drones under the ZALA brand.
The owner of the companies, Aleksandr Zakharov, was also targeted, as were his wife, daughter, sons, and companies they own. The state department said Zakharov is the creator and designer of the drones.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, welcomed the sanctions tied to the Lancet drone and said a number of the companies had been in Ukraine’s report to its partners on Russian drones and their components.
“I am very pleased that…restrictions are being tightened against companies associated with the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation, which participate, in particular, in the development of the Lancet,” Yermak said on Telegram.
Sanctions evasion
Washington has stepped up diplomatic pressure on countries and private companies globally to ensure enforcement of the barrage of sanctions it has unleashed on Moscow.
Among those designated on today were Turkish and UAE firms, including companies that sent high-priority goods to Russia and firms that have shipped aviation parts and equipment.
Three Chinese entities – two that the treasury said have conducted hundreds of shipments of electro-optical equipment, cameras, and other items, and one that has shipped radar components to Russia-based firms – were also targeted.
The state department also imposed sanctions on multiple defence-related entities and procurement companies in the UAE.
Construction companies, Russian officials, and a metals and mining company implementing a project to develop the largest titanium ore deposit in the world located in Russia were also hit with sanctions.
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