The sanctions list includes 58 individuals and 74 companies, with 67 Russian enterprises related to military technology.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
Despite the Kremlin's announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the front line.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
Kurt Volker said that now "there is more alignment" between Ukraine and the U.S. under the Trump Administration than at the beginning of 2025.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence has found 40 components produced by 13 U.S. companies in one of Russia's Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones downed in Ukraine in the fall, CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian intelligence assessment.
The remaining 12 drone parts were made by companies in Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan, and China, according to the assessment.
Experts told CNN that there is no evidence that any of these companies are in violation of U.S. sanctions laws and are knowingly exporting their technology for Iran’s use in drones.
Many companies promise to increase monitoring but it is often very challenging for manufacturers to control where these parts end up in the global market, experts said.
It is not the first time Western-made parts were found in Iranian kamikaze drones.
In November, Ukrainian civic watchdog StateWatch and the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, an NGO, published an investigation finding that Shahed drones, with the exception of the engine, consist entirely of foreign-made parts.
CNN reported on Dec. 21 that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration had established a task force to investigate how Western technology ended up in Iranian-made kamikaze drones.
“We are looking at ways to target Iranian UAV production through sanctions, export controls, and talking to private companies whose parts have been used in the production. We are assessing further steps we can take in terms of export controls to restrict Iran’s access to technologies used in drones,” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told CNN.
In November, the U.S. imposed sanctions against companies and individuals involved in the production and transfer of Iranian drones to Russia.
The EU and Canada have also sanctioned Iran over its supply of kamikaze drones to Moscow.
Russia has been using Iranian-made kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine since September, launching attacks against civilians and destroying energy facilities across the country.
Most Popular

After Russia's deadly attack on Kyiv, Vance reposts denunciation of Zelensky

Ukraine, Europe's ceasefire proposal includes US security guarantees, no recognition of Crimea, Reuters reports

After 3 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Europe announces plan to ban all Russian gas imports

Shoigu threatens Europe with nuclear weapons if Russia is faced with 'unfriendly actions'

Journalist Roshchyna's body missing organs after Russian captivity, investigation says
Editors' Picks

How medics of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade deal with horrors of drone warfare

As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home

'I just hate the Russians' — Kyiv district recovers from drone strike as ceasefire remains elusive
