Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
As Ukrainians continue to valiantly defend their homeland in the face of President Putin’s brutal war, Russia’s elite are running massive revenue-generating companies and funding their own opulent lifestyles outside of Russia. Today, the United States is taking additional actions to ensure that the Kremlin and its enablers feel the compounding effects of our response to the Kremlin’s unconscionable war of aggression.
The Department of State is designating Russian oligarchs, state-owned entities, and illegitimate authorities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024. The Department is designating three oligarchs: Dmitry Aleksandrovich Pumpyanskiy, Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, and Alexander Anatolevich Ponomarenko. Additionally, the Department is designating Joint Stock Company State Transportation Leasing Company and four of its subsidiaries. The Department is also designating four individuals and one entity illegitimately operating in Ukraine’s territory in collaboration with Russia. Several of these targets are designated by allies and partners, further aligning our regimes.
We are also imposing additional costs on Russia’s war machine by designating 24 Russian defense and technology-related entities pursuant to E.O. 14024. Russia has systematically focused on exploiting high-technology research and innovations to advance Moscow’s war-fighting capabilities – the same defense capabilities that Russia’s military is using in its vicious attacks hitting Ukraine’s population centers and resulting in the deaths of civilians, including children. Our actions target some of Russia’s most important defense-related research and development institutions, semiconductor producers, and advanced computing and electronics entities. These actions will further isolate Russia’s defense and high-technology industries and limit their contributions to Moscow’s war machine.
Additionally, the Department of State is taking action to impose visa restrictions on individuals in relation to Russia’s war in Ukraine. This includes 893 Russian Federation officials, such as members of the Federation Council and military members, for threatening or violating Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence. It also includes 31 foreign government officials who have acted to support Russia’s purported annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine and thereby threatened or violated Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Finally, Department of the Treasury is also imposing sanctions today targeting Kremlin-connected elites, a major multinational company, and a sanctions evasion operation, as well as identifying a yacht as blocked property pursuant to E.O. 14024. These elites and businesses operate in economic sectors that generate substantial revenue for the Russian regime, including from sources outside of Russia.
The United States will not waver in its support for the brave people of Ukraine and will continue to promote accountability for President Putin and his cronies whose actions have caused so much suffering and destruction in Ukraine.
For more information on today’s actions, please see the Department of the Treasury’s press release and State Department fact sheet.