According to the U.S Department Of Treasury press release on September 30, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 14 persons in Russia’s military-industrial complex, including two international suppliers, three key leaders of Russia’s financial infrastructure, immediate family members of some of senior Russian officials, and 278 members of Russia’s legislature for enabling Russia’s sham referenda and attempt to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory. In addition, OFAC issued new guidance that warns of the heightened sanctions risk that international actors outside of Russia would face for providing political or economic support to Russia as a result of its illegal attempts to change the status of Ukrainian territory.
“We will not stand by as Putin fraudulently attempts to annex parts of Ukraine. The Treasury Department and U.S. government are taking sweeping action today to further weaken Russia’s already degraded military industrial complex and undermine its ability to wage its illegal war,” said Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen. “We are also targeting key leaders in Russia’s financial architecture as part of our aggressive and coordinated effort to hold Putin and his enablers accountable for his unprovoked invasion, and limit their ability to prop up their economy. The Treasury Department, U.S. government, and our allies will not hesitate to take swift and severe actions against individuals and companies inside and outside of Russia who are complicit in this war and these sham referendums.”
OFAC’s actions are taken in concert with additional actions by the Department of Commerce and the Department of State. The Department of Commerce is issuing a clear warning of the heightened risks of entities inside and outside of Russia becoming subject to U.S. export controls for supporting Russia’s military and is also adding 57 entities to the Entity List for violating U.S. export controls. State is imposing sanctions on family members of the U.S.-designated mayor of Moscow, who is also a member of Russia’s Security Council, and visa restrictions on Russian national Ochur-Suge Mongush for torturing a Ukrainian prisoner of war. The Department of State is also taking steps to impose visa restrictions on an additional 910 individuals, including members of the Russian Federation’s military, Belarusian military officials, and Russia’s proxies acting in Russia-held portions of Ukraine.
