The U.S. State Department announced sanctions against dozens of individuals and entities in Russia on Thursday, targeting, among other things, its energy projects, sanctions evasion, and military-industrial complex.
For the first time, Washington has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities directly involved in the production of "Lancet" drones, which are actively used by Russian occupation forces against Ukraine.
The restrictions include Alexander Zakharov, the developer of "Lancet," his family, and several affiliated companies, including "ZALA Aero," which directly sells drones to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Sanctions also affected the company LLC "Arctic LNG 2," the operator of the sub-sanctioned project of the Russian company "Novatek" involved in the extensive production and supply of liquefied natural gas in Siberia.
The U.S. State Department's list includes several individuals and legal entities involved in the illegal import of technologies for the Russian military-industrial complex. Among them are Elena Milska, the wife of Alexander Kurenkov, a close associate of Putin and Russia's Minister for Emergency Situations; Salman Zakriev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Chechnya; and his son.
The blacklist also includes several Russian officials, six deputy ministers, and the director of the legal department of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, as well as companies operating in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
