U.S. intensifies Russian sanctions

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned five Russian entities and 19 people in an effort to punish those allegedly involved in interfering in recent U.S. elections or causing cyber attacks that targeted financial and infrastructure systems.    The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned five Russian entities and 19 people in effort to punish those allegedly involved in interfering in recent U.S. elections or causing cyber attacks that targeted financial and infrastructure systems.
   The latest round of sanctions are part of the U.S. government’s Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), as well as presidential order, “Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities.”
   “These targeted sanctions are a part of a broader effort to address the ongoing nefarious attacks emanating from Russia,” said Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin in a March 15 statement.
   He further warned that “Treasury intends to impose additional CAATSA sanctions, informed by our intelligence community, to hold Russian government officials and oligarchs accountable for their destabilizing activities by severing their access to the U.S. financial system.”
   The Russian military allegedly initiated the NotPetya cyberattack, which is considered the most destructive and costly attack of its type in history. “The attack resulted in billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia, and the United States, and significantly disrupted global shipping, trade, and the production of medicines,” the Treasury Department said.
   Those Russian entities added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals list include the Internet Research Agency and its related subsidiaries, as well as Concord Management and Consulting and Concord Catering. These entities are located in St. Petersburg.
   Russian individuals added to the sanctions include Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, Dzheykhun Nasimi Ogly Aslanov, Anna Vladislavovna Bogacheva, Maria Anatolyevna Bovda, Robert Sergeyevich Bovda, Mikhail Leonidovich Burchik, Mikhail Ivanovich Bystrov, Irina Viktorovna Kaverzina, Aleksandra Yuryevna Krylova, Vadim Vladimirovich Podkopaev, Sergey Pavlovich Polozov, Gleb Igorevich Vasilchenko, and Vladimir Venkov. These individuals were either employees of the Internet Research Agency or Concord.
   Also added are senior officers of Russia’s intelligence services, including Sergei Afanasyev, Vladimir Alexseyev, Igor Korobov, Igor Kostyukov, and Grigoriy Molchanov.
   As a result of the sanctions, the Treasury Department said all property and related interests related to these individuals and entities that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked. U.S. persons are also generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with these listed individuals and entities.