U.S. Sanctions Russian military suppliers, Including Armenia-based Firm

The Biden administration on Monday announced new sanctions meant to target Russia's military industry. Unlike recent packages of sanctions imposed on Russia-based firms and people, the latest targets are aimed at a range of entities abroad, including an Armenian-based firm, as well as a group of Swiss nationals and a Taiwanese microelectronic component purchaser, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The U.S. Treasury and the State Departments designated 14 people, 28 entities and eight aircraft identified as being part of a transnational network that procures technology meant to build up Russia's military.

Here are some of those affected by the sanctions:

- Russian Murat Magomedovich Aliev and 5 businesses associated with him.

- Armenia-based Milur Electronics

- Mikhail Ilyich Pavlyuk, the general director of Milandr and Milur Electronics

- Sanctioned Kremlin elite Suleiman Abusaidovich Kerimov's network: Kerimov's immediate family;

- 4 French real estate companies belonging to one of Kerimov's daughters, and the president of those real estate companies; the Swiss-based firm belonging to that individual;

- Kerimov's nephew and his UAE-based firm;

- Swiss national Alexander-Walter Studhalter, who has allegedly laundered significant amounts of money on Kerimov's behalf; Studhalter's two sons

- AO PKK Milandr: U.S. Treasury described this company as "a Russian microelectronics company that has been described as part of the Russian military research and development structure defense technology firm."

- Milur SA: "The Switzerland-based primary shareholder of Milur Electronics" which "has been utilized by employees and business associates of Milandr to coordinate financial transfers to Milur Electronics," according to the Treasury.

- Jacques Pasche and Holger Leng, two officials at Milur SA

- Sharp Edge Engineering Inc., "a Taiwan-based front company used to purchase microelectronic components from Asian companies" that has been used by Milandr employees "to procure equipment."

"Businesses worldwide are advised to do their due diligence in order to avoid being targeted for sanctions," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The U.S. "will continue to crack down on Russia's attempts to evade international sanctions to fund its war machine," Blinken said.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.