US tightens Russia sanctions, targeting Lancet drone manufacturer

The United States has expanded the list of sanctioned Russia-affiliated entities involved in facilitating Moscow’s armed aggression against Ukraine, the U.S. Treasure Department announced on Nov. 2.

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Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a Telegram post that more than 30 individuals and nearly 200 legal entities have been added to the sanctions list.

According to U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), China, Turkey, and the UAE have become export, re-export, and transit centers for Western technology and equipment flowing into Russia. A number of companies from these three countries, related individuals, and a Swiss supplier of industrial equipment fell under the expanded sanctions.

The sanctions also affected Russian citizen Artur Petrov, who according to the U.S. Treasury, organized a complex scheme to bypass sanctions to procure U.S.-made electronic components for Russian end users.

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Russian defense companies producing, importing, distributing, and repairing industrial equipment, machinery, spare parts, etc. were also targeted. The United States has also introduced new restrictions against Russian tech companies, including Gazprom Neft.

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The U.S. State Department separately imposed sanctions on about 100 individuals and legal entities, including representatives of the metallurgical and mining sectors, as well as companies involved in the purchase of goods to produce Lancet kamikaze UAVs.

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ZALA Aero, which develops, manufactures, and sells loitering munitions and kamikaze drones to the Russian Ministry of Defense, its owner Alexander Zakharov, his family and related enterprises, were also sanctioned.

Finally, the expanded U.S. sanctions list targets Arctic LNG 2 – Russia’s largest natural gas condenser plant under construction, which aims to boost maritime exports of Russian gas overseas.

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