WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on dozens of people and entities as it cracks down on Russia over its war in Ukraine, targeting a private military company, a China-based firm, and entities linked to state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom.
The sanctions, imposed by the U.S. Treasury and State departments, apply to more than 120 entities and individuals across over 20 countries, including facilitators of sanctions evasion, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The Treasury said in a separate statement that it imposed sanctions on Russian financial facilitators and sanctions evaders around the world, including Turkey, United Arab Emirates and China-based people and companies.
"The United States will continue to take action against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine, including further implementing the G7’s commitment to impose severe consequences on third country actors who support Russia’s war in Ukraine," Blinken said in the statement.
The U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago and have continued to ratchet up pressure. Washington has since launched a push to crack down on sanctions evasion.
Among those targeted Wednesday was the Patriot private military company, which the State Department said was associated with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and competing with the Wagner mercenary group.
Also targeted was China HEAD Aerospace Technology Co, a China-based satellite image reseller that the State Department said supplied satellite imagery of locations in Ukraine to entities affiliated with Wagner and its head, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Treasury also targeted King-Pai Technology HK Co, Ltd, which it said is a China-based supplier for multiple entities in Russia's military-industrial complex.
Five entities and an individual that are part of Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom were also targeted in an effort to constrain the company, the State Department said, accusing Rosatom of using energy exports to exert political and economic pressure on its customers.
Washington has not yet imposed sanctions on Rosatom itself.
The U.S. also imposed sanctions on Russian billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov's company, USM Holdings, along with entities organized under it, the State Department said.
Among the companies organized under USM that Washington targeted on Wednesday were Russian mobile operator Megafon; Russia's biggest iron ore producer Metalloinvest, including Metalloinvest's Swiss-based and UAE-based subsidiaries; the operator of the Russia-based Udokan copper project and Usmanov's Uzbekistan-based cement producer Akhangarancement.
The inclusion of Megafon, one of Russia's big four telecoms operators, marks a shift as Western sanctions have so far stopped short of targeting Russia's telecoms infrastructure.
The Treasury plans to issue four general licenses authorizing certain activities with a number of entities involved in the action against Usmanov, the State Department said.
USM Holdings said earlier on Wednesday in response to British sanctions that it considers the measures against the company and its shareholders "unjust and unfounded," adding that Usmanov has not been engaged in business activity for a long time.
The U.S. Treasury also designated the Budapest-based International Investment Bank (IIB), a development bank with majority-Russian ownership that some European countries have already cut ties with.
"The IIB’s presence in Budapest enables Russia to increase its intelligence presence in Europe, opens the door for the Kremlin’s malign influence activities in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, and could serve as a mechanism for corruption and illicit finance, including sanctions violations," the Treasury said.
The Treasury also targeted Sequoia Treuhand Trust Reg, a Liechtenstein-based trust services company whose clients Washington said include Russian elites such as Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)