U.S. Sanctions Russian Military Transport Planes, State-Owned Airline Head, Over North Korea Arms Transfers

The United States on Thursday sanctioned a head of Russian state-owned airline 224th Flight Unit, as well as three Russian military transport planes over their involvement in the transfer of North Korea’s ballistic missiles to Russia, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Vladimir Mikheychik, who is the general director of the airline 224th Flight Unit, which belongs to the Russian Defense Ministry, was sanctioned along with his company. He is also reportedly known as the brother-in-law of one of Vladimir Putin's former bodyguards.

Sanctions also target Vladimirovka Advanced Weapons and Research Complex, a Russian military facility involved in the testing of missiles, and Ashuluk Firing, a Russian missile testing range.

"The United States continues to closely monitor any Russian-provided support to the DPRK in return for these weapons and will use all available tools to designate and expose individuals and entities involved in arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The sanctions came after the Biden administration said that North Korea had provided Russia with several dozen ballistic missiles, some of which were used to strike Ukrainian targets on Dec. 30, Jan. 2 and Saturday.