In an effort to control the Russian aggression, the new US sanctions targetted nearly 300 companies and individuals, including entities from China, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Hong Kong, for their alleged support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Chinese Companies Targeted
China has been silently helping the Russia in the war against Ukraine. The Treasury Department’s new us sanctions target several Chinese firms, including:
- Finder Technology Ltd.:This is a Hong Kong based Chinese company and is accused of exporting 293 shipments of drone parts and other electronics.
- Juhang Aviation Technology Shenzhen Co.: Accused of providing Russia with drone propellers, signal jammers, sensors, and engines.
- Zhongcheng Heavy Equipment Defense Technology Group Co. Ltd.: Accused of supplying the paramilitary Wagner Group.
- Hengshui Heshuo Cellulose Co. Ltd. and Hengshui Yuanchem Trading Ltd.: Accused of shipping large quantities of nitrocellulose to Russia.
Additionally, the Treasury targeted manufacturers and suppliers of cotton cellulose and nitrocellulose, essential for making gunpowder, rocket propellant, and other explosives. The sanctions also encompass a combination of Russian and Chinese companies involved in the trade of these materials.
Warning to Chinese Officials
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had previously warned Chinese officials of consequences for any firms assisting Russia’s military procurement efforts. She stated that these new US sanctions, coupled with recently enacted additional funding for Ukraine, provide the country with a “critical leg-up on the battlefield.”
UAE-based Entity Sanctioned
Firms in several countries, including China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates are alleged to have assisted Russia in acquiring technology and equipment from abroad. These penalties are intended to restrict their access to the US financial system and prohibit American citizens from engaging in transactions with them. The Treasury Department also targeted UAE-based
- Albait Al Khaleeje General Trading LLC: for acting as a conduit for sanctioned goods to Russia. The company, which describes itself as an auto parts exporter, has been involved in more than 6,800 shipments to Russian customers, according to the department.
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New US Sanctions on Arctic LNG-2 Project
In addition to the sanctions, the US expanded restrictions against Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, targeting a Singapore-based company, a Hong Kong-based entity, and almost two dozen vessels.
The Arctic LNG 2 project is a large-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) project located on the Gydan Peninsula in the Russian Arctic. It is being developed by Novatek, Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer.
The project involves the construction of three liquefaction trains with a total capacity of approximately 19.8 million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG. The LNG produced at the Arctic LNG 2 project will primarily be exported to international markets, particularly in Asia.
The project is significant for Russia’s energy sector and its strategic goal of expanding its presence in the global LNG market. It is part of Russia’s broader strategy to develop its Arctic resources and establish the Northern Sea Route as a viable shipping route for LNG and other goods.
The expansion of restrictions by the US against the Arctic LNG 2 project indicates an escalation in tensions between the US and Russia over the latter’s actions in Ukraine.
The new US sanctions also designates 12 entities within the Sibanthracite group of companies, one of Russia’s largest producers of metallurgical coal. Furthermore, the budget airline Pobeda was also sanctioned.
Chemical Weapon Allegations
The State Department determined that Russia used the chemical weapon chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and levied sanctions against companies and individuals it says have aided Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs, violating sanctions and other restrictions.
As part of new US sanctions, the State Department has blacklisted additional individuals and companies involved in Moscow’s energy, mining, and metals sectors, as well as individuals connected to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison in February.
The US has accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and using riot control chemicals as a method of warfare in Ukraine. According to the State Department, Russia’s use of the gas “comes from the same playbook as its operations to poison” Navalny in 2020 and Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in 2018 with the novichok nerve agent. The State Department stated that it was delivering its findings to Congress.
“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” the State Department said.
In addition to chloropicrin, Russian forces have also allegedly illegally used grenades loaded with CS and CN gases, according to the Ukrainian military.
