WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington cracked down on those seeking to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said that Russia has increasingly been forced to turn to North Korea and other allies to sustain its war in Ukraine as it expends munitions and loses heavy equipment on the battlefield.
The action is the latest by Washington, which has imposed rafts of sanctions targeting Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and turned cities to rubble.
“The United States continues to root out illicit financial networks that seek to channel support from North Korea to Russia’s war machine,” Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.
“Alongside our allies and partners, we remain committed to exposing and disrupting the arms trade underpinning Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine.”
Russia’s embassy in Washington and North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The entities targeted in Wednesday’s action are Limited Liability Company Verus, Defense Engineering Limited Liability Partnership and Versor S.R.O.
The Treasury said Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev, already under U.S. sanctions, is the president of Versor, founder and owner of Verus and director of Defense Engineering.
Washington accused Mkrtychev of negotiating with North Korean and Russian officials to organize potential plans to transfer over two dozens kinds of weapons and munitions to Russia in exchange for goods to North Korea.
Wednesday’s action freezes any US assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with the sanctioned entities can also be hit with punitive measures.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bernadette Baum)
United States Imposes Sanctions on Entities Allegedly Involved in North Korea-Russia Arms Deals
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has taken firm action in its campaign against those supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine by imposing sanctions on three entities said to be involved in arms deals between North Korea and Russia. The U.S. Treasury Department, in an official statement, claimed that Russia has increasingly relied on North Korea and other allies to sustain its war efforts in Ukraine, as it loses heavy equipment and munitions on the battlefield.
The move by Washington is part of an ongoing series of sanctions imposed on Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin since the conflict began. The war has led to the death of tens of thousands of people and the destruction of entire cities.
Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, stated, “The United States continues to root out illicit financial networks that seek to channel support from North Korea to Russia’s war machine. Alongside our allies and partners, we remain committed to exposing and disrupting the arms trade underpinning Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine.”
However, both the Russian embassy in Washington and North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York have yet to respond to requests for comment.
The three entities targeted in the latest U.S. action are Limited Liability Company Verus, Defense Engineering Limited Liability Partnership, and Versor S.R.O. The Treasury revealed that Ashot Mkrtychev, a Slovakian national already under U.S. sanctions, holds important positions across all three entities. He serves as the president of Versor, the founder and owner of Verus, and the director of Defense Engineering.
U.S. authorities have accused Mkrtychev of negotiating with North Korean and Russian officials to coordinate potential plans for transferring more than two dozen types of weapons and munitions to Russia in exchange for goods to be sent to North Korea.
As a result of the sanctions, any U.S. assets held by the designated entities will be frozen, and dealing with them will be prohibited for American entities. Engaging in specific transactions with these sanctioned entities can also lead to punitive measures.
Source: REUTERS
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