"The U.S. Department of the Treasury is taking action against attempts by Russia to circumvent U.S. sanctions. These measures target a sanctions evasion scheme established between entities in Russia and China to facilitate cross-border payments for sensitive goods," the statement reads.
Among the companies included in the U.S. sanctions list is Keremet Bank from Kyrgyzstan, which, according to the U.S. Treasury, helped evade sanctions in coordination with Russian officials and a sanctioned bank from Russia.
Overall, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on more than 150 organizations and individuals, "including a wide range of companies in the Russian defense industry and those supporting its military-industrial base."
"Today's sanctions also include dozens of companies from various countries that continue to support Russia's efforts to evade U.S. sanctions, particularly in China, which remains the largest supplier of dual-use goods and a facilitator of sanctions evasion in support of Russia's military efforts," the U.S. Treasury release states.
Among the newly sanctioned companies, the list published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) includes firms from Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan. They primarily operate in the financial sector.
Additionally, a Russian state enterprise that calls itself "Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant" with an address in temporarily occupied Enerhodar in the Zaporizhia region of Ukraine has been added to the sanctions list.
"All property and interests in property of the listed individuals that are located in the United States or owned or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Furthermore, any organizations that are directly or indirectly owned, individually or collectively, 50% or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked," the U.S. Treasury noted.
In response to the sanctions imposed by Washington, Ukrainian President's Office head Andriy Yermak reacted on Telegram. He noted that the U.S. had taken into account a number of proposals prepared by the international working group on sanctions against Russia, which is led by Yermak and Michael McFaul, the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Yermak pointed out that the sanctions targeted not only the structure created for the illegal management of the occupied nuclear power plant but also two subsidiaries of "Rosatom," over 25 Russian defense enterprises, nearly 30 Russian companies engaged in the procurement and distribution of sanctioned goods (including for drone production), about 25 metallurgical enterprises in Russia, and a Turkish shipyard that built a floating dock for servicing Russian nuclear icebreakers.