US sanctions against Russia: Alisher Usmanov’s companies are on the list

The new US sanctions are aimed, in particular, at companies and organisations that help Russia wage war against Ukraine. The list includes Yunarmiya and the companies of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

The United States of America has imposed new sanctions on 34 individuals and dozens of legal entities from Russia and other countries. The US Treasury Department published the list on its website on Wednesday, 12 April.

The current sanctions package, according to the department, is aimed at companies and organisations that help Russia wage war against Ukraine, in particular by supplying it with dual-use goods, bypassing existing Western sanctions.

Thus, Washington’s restrictive measures include, in particular, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, former Minister of Transport and CEO of the Russian State Transport Leasing Company Yevgeny Dietrich, the daughter and father of State Duma deputy Andrei Skoch, as well as number of citizens of Hungary, Germany, Israel, Austria, Liechtenstein, Cyprus and Uzbekistan with ties to Russia.

Ships, companies and the International Investment Bank

The sanctions targeted the Russian military-patriotic movement Unarmia and the private military company Patriot. The Russian companies Metalloinvest and Megafon, as well as dozens of other Russian, Cypriot, Turkish and Chinese legal entities, were also sanctioned.

In particular, China’s Head of Aerospace Technology is suspected of having links to the owner of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin. As well as China’s King-Pai Technology, Turkey’s Dexias Türkiye and Azu International, and Hulm Al Sahra from the UAE, which are electronics suppliers to Russia, the US Treasury said.

The sanctions list also includes two cargo ships flying the flag of Turkey, which are associated with Pola Raiz. In addition, new restrictions have been imposed on the International Investment Bank (IIB), a “Russian-controlled financial institution in Budapest, Hungary”.

“The presence of IIB in Budapest allows Russia to increase its intelligence presence in Europe, opens the door to the Kremlin’s malign activities in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, and can serve as a mechanism for corruption and illicit financing, including sanctions violations,” the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

Alisher Usmanov’s network

The United States is also “targeting Alisher Usmanov’s support network in coordination with the United Kingdom,” the US Treasury Department said. According to the department, this Russian oligarch is close to several high-ranking Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. Therefore, the sanctions were imposed on Usmanov’s USM holding, as well as several related companies and individuals.

The sanctions were also imposed on Usmanov’s stepson, Nathan Wiener, who owns several companies in Russia and expensive seaside property in Latvia.