Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions on a global network of individuals and shell companies that it says are helping the Russian military evade multilateral controls on high-tech exports to Moscow as the Kremlin goes to war with Ukraine. At the heart of the network is Serniya Engineering, a Moscow-based company which, according to the Biden government, operates under the guidance of Russian intelligence services. From there, the extensive corporate group expands to include defense procurement companies, intermediaries and vanguard companies located in the United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, Singapore, Malta and France. The United States imposed export controls at the start of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in late February. The restrictions operate in line with almost identical export bans imposed by the European Union, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and South Korea. The finance ministry also announced new sanctions on Thursday on four technology companies supplying the Russian military with microelectronics, navigation equipment and satellite imaging software. One of them, Mikron, is also Russia’s largest chip maker. The company is responsible for debit card chips in Russia’s domestic payment system, the Mir, which was developed in response to previous Western sanctions. The United States has also identified three other sectors of the Russian economy – aerospace, marine and electronics – as potential targets for sanctions, given its strategic importance to the country’s defense industrial base. Until now, the only areas that were considered strategically important to the Kremlin’s war effort were financial services, technology and the defense industry. The Treasury Department has also appointed a Russian government agency responsible for developing and deploying the infamous Triton cyber-attack malware, along with several top officials. This characterization came amid growing fears within the White House and US intelligence that Russia could launch a cyber attack on a vital part of US infrastructure. Several weeks ago, U.S. officials took the extraordinary step of hosting detailed, confidential updates on several hundred infrastructure companies that they believe are at the highest risk of being targeted by Russian cyberwarfare. A civilian attack on a civilian target is widely seen as the easiest and most immediate way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to retaliate against the Biden government for its leading role in mobilizing a global alliance that has blocked Russia’s economy. sanctions and arms supplies. and assistance to Ukraine. The Ministry of Finance website contains a complete list of new sanctions, which affect 21 entities and 13 individuals. Unlike previous rounds of sanctions aimed at the Russian economy and defense sector in response to the war in Ukraine, the package announced on Thursday did not specifically mention other countries that would impose the same designations. However, the Ministry of Finance said it was taking action “in close coordination with our partners, who are also committed to ensuring that the Russian Federation does not use its jurisdiction for its own destructive purposes.” Overall, the new sanctions reflect Washington’s commitment that it will not rest on its laurels following the initial outbreak of coordinated sanctions imposed during the start of the Russian invasion in late February. White House officials say they will continue to look for ways to weaken Russia’s military infrastructure as the Kremlin continues its failed and brutal invasion of Ukraine. “Russia not only continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty with its unprovoked aggression, but has also escalated its attacks by hitting civilians and population centers,” Finance Minister Janet Yellen said in a statement announcing the new sanctions on Thursday. In response, he said: “We will continue to target Putin’s war machine with sanctions from every angle, until this absurd war of choice is over.” This is breaking news. Check again for updates.
