Ukraine sanctions companies, individuals aiding Russia’s weapons production, sanctions evasion
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two decrees imposing sanctions on individuals and companies involved in supplying components for Russian missiles and drones, as well as those helping Russia circumvent international sanctions, the President’s Office reported on Feb. 8.
Those targeted include are citizens and residents of Russia, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, and the United Arab Emirates.
The move comes against the backdrop of another mass Russian attack overnight on Feb. 7, when Moscow deployed more than 400 drones and nearly 40 missiles of various types, targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure, according to Zelensky.
“The production of these weapons would be impossible without foreign critical components, which the Russians continue to obtain in violation of sanctions. It is precisely against such companies — suppliers of components and manufacturers of missiles and drones — that we are imposing new sanctions,” he wrote.
The first decree aims to limit Russia’s military-industrial complex's capabilities. It lists 24 individuals and 27 legal entities, including companies that supply materials used in the production of missiles and drones, which Russia has deployed in attacks on Ukraine.
The second decree targets the financial infrastructure that enables Russia to bypass sanctions. It affects 42 individuals and 35 legal entities, including payment operators, cryptocurrency holders, crypto exchanges, and entities supporting the Russian crypto market and mining.
Notably, the sanctions include the A7 cryptocurrency network ecosystem, linked to the sanctioned Russian bank Promsvyazbank and Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor. A7 has been used to pay for components for Russian missiles and drones.
Sanctions were also applied to the Association of Developers and Users of Technologies, which facilitates Russia’s crypto market and industrial-scale virtual currency mining.
Some of these measures will be incorporated into the EU’s 20th sanctions package, which is in its final stages and could be adopted by the end of this month, according to the President’s Office.
"We continue coordinating with our partners and increasing pressure on the aggressor. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine," Zelensky wrote.
In January, Ukraine imposed a sanctions package targeting individuals and legal entities linked to the servicing of Russia's military-industrial complex. The measures also cover key Russian industrial sectors, including chemicals, mining, metallurgy, and the energy and fuel industries.
