The US Department of Commerce has imposed restrictions on exports to more than two dozen companies in ten countries for aiding Russia in obtaining products that support its military operations in Ukraine. The Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security has added 28 entities, mainly electronics firms that have tried to evade export limitations on US products in support of Russia's military and defense industrial base, to its export control Entity List. In addition, the US has also imposed sanctions on 120 other entities and individuals in over 20 countries. The targeted companies are located in various countries such as Armenia, China, Malta, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. The sanctions come more than a year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to the US Department of State, the effects of the globally coordinated sanctions have compelled the Russian Federation to seek alternative financing and fuel for its war machine.
Commerce accused Chinese companies, such as Allparts Trading Co., Avtex Semiconductor Ltd., ETC Electronics, Maxtronic International Co., and STK Electronics HK Co. Ltd., along with four Russian firms — ETC Electronics, Promelektronika, TD Promelektronika, and OOO Vest-Ost — of trying to bypass export controls or acquiring or trying to acquire American products for Russia's defense industry and military. The nine entities have continued to obtain or try to obtain items on behalf of Russian entities that have been sanctioned since the country's further invasion of Ukraine. The US government designated the companies as Russian or Belarusian "military end-users," which are entities that provide materials for military purposes.
Commerce stated that iJet Global DMCC, with facilities in Malta, Spain, Syria, and the UAE, and UAE-based Success Aviation Services had coordinated flights that delivered drones, personnel, and related equipment from Iran to Russia. Sixteen companies were added to the list for attempting to procure American products on behalf of Russian entities already on the list or on the US Department of the Treasury's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. These included companies from Armenia, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Singapore.
Dexias Industrial Products and Trade Ltd. Co. in Turkey was added to the list based on information that the company significantly contributes to Russia's military and defense industrial base. The State Department has also placed sanctions on two Russian organizations for promoting the "militarization and indoctrination of schoolchildren." The sanctions targeted a new Russian private military company, a Chinese company accused of providing satellite images of locations in Ukraine to entities associated with the Russian private military company Wagner Group, and a network of entities that help Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov evade sanctions placed on him last year. According to the State Department, the US will continue to take action against Russia and those supporting its war in Ukraine, including implementing the G7's commitment to imposing severe consequences on third-party actors who support Russia's war in Ukraine.
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