UK imposes new sanctions on 25 people and companies for helping Russia attack Ukraine
Britain has imposed new sanctions on an Iranian drone maker and a number of foreign companies, accusing them of supplying Russian forces with weapons and components for use against Ukraine.
Great Britain, the United States and the European Union have been imposing such restrictions to punish Russia since February 2023. Now, the British Government has established 25 new sanctions against people and companies from Iran, Turkey, Belarus, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Russia. “Today’s sanctions will further reduce Russia’s arsenal and shut down the web of supply chains that underpin Putin’s defense industry,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.
The sanctions prohibit UK entities from providing trust services – the creation of a trust or similar arrangement – to those sanctioned and also impose an asset freeze, which blocks their assets deposited in Britain.
Iranian drone maker Paravar Pars and seven of its executives, already subject to US sanctions announced in February, and two Turkey-based microelectronics exporters, Azu International and Turkik Union, are among Britain’s targets. They played a role in Russia’s export of microelectronics, a technology essential to the country’s military activity in Ukraine, according to Cleverly.
Azu has exported at least $20 million worth of components to Russia, including chips made by US manufacturers. In April, the US Treasury also accused Azu of sending computer chips of foreign origin to Russia.
The British government has also imposed sanctions on a number of people, including Swiss Anselm Oskar Schmucki, head of the Moscow office of Swiss-based crypto asset manager DuLac Capital Ltd. The reason is “obtaining a benefit from, or supporting the Government of Russia, by conducting business in a sector of strategic importance, namely the Russian financial services sector”. DuLac has not responded to Reuters’ request to comment on the action against her.
The British government, which has sanctioned more than 1,600 individuals and entities since the start of the Ukraine conflict, has said the latest round of sanctions marks its biggest action against third-country military suppliers. (Reuters)
