Monthly Archives: June 2024

The EU adopts a 14th package of sanctions on Russia: LPG, the finance system, artists

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The Council of the European Union has adopted today a 14th package of economic and individual restrictive measures on Russian and its allies.

The new sanctions include restrictions on 116 additional individuals and entities (see the full list here).

These include popular propagandists singers Yaroslav Dronov (stage name: Shaman) and Polina Gagarina.

EU has stated that it will ban reloading of Russian LNG services in EU territory to transfer operations to third countries.

In addition, EU has decided to prohibit the use of ‘System for Transfer of Financial Messages’ (SPFS), a specialized financial messaging service developed by the Central Bank of Russia to counteract restrictive measures. Entities operating outside of Russia will not be allowed to connect to SPFS or similar specialized financial services.

Among the sanctioned companies are Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company specializing in the transportation of liquified gas; the Volga-Dnepr Group and its subsidiaries; the Kadyrov Foundation and the Belarusian Republican Youth Union.

The U.S. has blocked Kaspersky Lab. What kind of company is it? 

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Last week, the U.S., through the Department of Commerce, issued a final determination pursuant to Executive Order prohibiting Kaspersky Lab and its affiliates, subsidiaries, and parent companies from providing anti-virus software, cybersecurity products, or services in the United States or to U.S.-based entities.

The second action was taken by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which designated twelve individuals who hold executive or senior leadership positions at Kaspersky.

What were the reasons for these actions? The U. S. Department of Defense decided that the products and services offered by Kaspersky Lab and its corporate group pose an unacceptable risk to the national security and safety of US citizens. Additionally, the Department of Commerce has designated Kaspersky Lab as a partner for its cooperation with the Russian military and intelligence agencies.

Presently, Kaspersky Lab is a global company that operates in over 200 countries and territories, with 34 offices located in more than 30 countries. It produces cybersecurity solutions and services.

Kaspersky Lab was founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, his wife, and partners. In 2023, the company demonstrated strong performance with an 11% growth in net sales bookings. The global non-audited revenue of Kaspersky in 2013 amounted to $721 million USD.

Eugene Kaspersky and the former president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev / Phoho: kremlin.ru

The following individuals from Kaspersky Lab have been added to the OFAC sanctions list:

  • Andrei Gennadyevich Tikhonov is a member of the boards of directors of Kaspersky Lab.

Andrei Gennadyevich Tikhonov / Photo: kaspersky.ru

  • Daniil Sergeyevich Borshchev is a member of the boards of directors of Kaspersky Lab, Kaspersky Group, and Kaspersky Limited.
  • Andrei Anatolyevich Efremov is a member of the boards of directors of Kaspersky Lab and Kaspersky Group and is also the company’s Chief Business Development Officer.
  • Igor Gennadyevich Chekunov is a member of the boards of directors of Kaspersky Lab and Kaspersky Group and is the company’s Chief Legal Officer.
  • Andrey Petrovich Dukhvalov is Kaspersky Lab’s Vice President and Director of Future Technologies.
  • Andrei Anatolyevich Suvorov is Kaspersky Lab’s Head of Kaspersky Operating System Business Unit.
  • Denis Vladimirovich Zenkin is the Kaspersky Lab’s Head of Corporate Communications.
  • Marina Mikhaylovna Alekseeva is Kaspersky Lab’s Chief Human Resources Officer.
  • Mikhail Yuryevich Gerber is Kaspersky Lab’s Executive Vice President of Consumer Business.
  • Anton Mikhaylovich Ivanov heads Kaspersky Lab’s research and development department as the company’s Chief Technology Officer.
  • Kirill Aleksandrovich Astrakhan is Kaspersky Lab’s Executive Vice President for Corporate Business.
  • Anna Vladimirovna Kulashova is Kaspersky Lab’s Managing Director for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The U.S. strikes one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico La Nueva Familia Michoacana

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The U.S. has sanctioned eight targets based in Mexico that are affiliated with La Nueva Familia Michoacana, which is one of the most violent cartels in the country.

“The opioid crisis, and especially the rise of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, has devastated communities and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans,” noted Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen.

treasury.gov

La Nueva Familia Michoacana trafficked mainly methamphetamine, but in recent years they have expanded into trafficking fentanyl. Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid that is 20 to 40 times stronger than heroin.

treasury.gov

OFAC has decided to impose sanctions on the leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana: Rodolfo Maldonado Bustos, Josue Ramirez Carrera, Josue Lopez Hernandez, David Duran Alvarez, Uriel Tabares Martinez, Kevin Arzate Gomez , Euclides Camacho Goicochea and Lucio Ochoa Lagunes.

Rodolfo Maldonado Bustos controls the drug routes that pass from Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero, Mexico to the Zihuatanejo-Lazaro Cardenas, Guerrero, Mexico area.

Josue Ramirez Carrera is a financial leader of La Nueva Familia Michoacana.

Josue Lopez Hernandez is a key lieutenant for La Nueva Familia Michoacana

David Duran Alvarez is known to send various drugs to Houston, Texas.

Uriel Tabares Martinez is a assassin, that works directly for Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.

Kevin Arzate Gomez negotiates on behalf of the cartel to have drugs enter the United States.

Euclides Camacho Goicochea moves a significant amount of drugs, particularly methamphetamine, to Houston, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, among other area

Canada imposes sanctions on Russian officials in response to human rights violations

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The Canadian government has imposed new sanctions on Russian officials.

The head of the investigative department of the of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (the Investigative Committee is the federal state body performing in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation powers in the sphere of criminal trial) for Salekhard and his deputies Arslan Mushaev and Vasily Uzdyaev, Head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area Andrey Egorov, together with his deputy Dmitry Tsymbalenko, are on the list of those who have been sanctioned

These individuals have been added to the sanctions list:

  • Andrey Nikolayevich EGOROV
  • Dmitry Ivanovich TSYMBALENKO
  • Edgar Manvelovich SEROPYAN
  • Sergey Vitalievich PATLATYUK
  • Arslan Nyamynovich MUSHAYEV
  • Vasily Viktorovich UZDYAEV
  • Dmitry Viktorovich SHAROVATOV
  • Aleksandr Vladimirovich FYODOROV
  • Ruslan Aleksandrovich SEMASHKO
  • Sergey Anatolyevich MOROZ
  • Elena Alekseevna KOROBKA
  • Aleksei Anatolyevich ALEKSANDROV
  • Yulia Mikhailovna POPOVA

The US has blocked the financial network of Putin’s ally, Milorad Dodik

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has decided to impose sanctions onva network of two individuals and seven entities that provide major sources of revenue for U.S.-designated Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and his family.

In 2023 Milorad Dodik claimed that he is a friend of the Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. In 2024 he visited the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia where he met Putin.

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Vladimir Putin / Photo: kremlin.ru

“Dodik used his official position to direct RS government contracts to a network of private companies that he and Igor (Dodik’s son) oversee. While Igor controls many of the companies in this network, he obfuscates his personal connection to the companies by relying on distinct nominal owners and directors. Infinity International Group d.o.o. Banja Luka (Infinity) is a holding company in BiH that directly or indirectly owns or is the majority owner of at least five other BiH-based companies: Prointer ITSS d.o.o. Banja Luka Clan Infinity International Group (Prointer), Kaldera Company El PGP d.o.o. (Kaldera), Infinity Media d.o.o. (Infinity Media), K-2 Audio Services Banja Luka d.o.o. (K-2), and Una World Network d.o.o. (Una),” noted OFAC.

Additionally, Sirius 2010 d.o.o. Banja Luka (Sirius) is an information technology (IT) company that operates within the Dodik family network. Along with Prointer and Kaldera, Sirius is well-known in BiH for being awarded lucrative government contracts. Together, Prointer and Sirius provide IT goods and services to organizations across the RS and BiH governments, while Kaldera primarily operates in the engineering sector.

The EU extends sanctions on Russia for further year

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The Council of the European Union decided to renew the sanctions imposed by the EU in response to the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia until June 23, 2025.

These sanctions were first imposed in June 2014 and include prohibitions on imports of products originating from Crimea or Sevastopol, as well as restrictions on infrastructure, financial investments and tourism services from these regions.

Additionally, exports of certain goods and technologies to companies based in Crimea, or for use within the transport, telecommunication and energy sectors, or for oil, gas and mining operations are also subject to restrictions from the EU.

According to the EU statement, the EU does not recognise and continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation as a violation of international law.

“Since 2022, Russia has further violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with its unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression, and dedicated to fully implementing its non-recognition policy,” claimed the Council of the European Union.

Poland has imposed sanctions on two companies due to their ties with Russia

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The Ministry of the Interior and Administration of the Republic of Poland added two companies to its sanctions list for their ties with Russian companies.

Sanctions were imposed on Reiven Technologies Polska Sp. z o.o and RS PRO Sp. z O.O. Both companies are based in Warsaw.

According to a statement from the Polish Ministry of Interior, PRO Sp. Z O. was exporting goods included in a list of dual-use and high-technology products used by Russian military systems in 2023. The company did so through partners in Azerbaijan and Hong Kong.

“The Azerbaijani company is associated with PSS Corporation, a Russian company,” the Polish government said.
Russian PSS Corp. is involved in industrial safety for facilities in the oil and gas industry, shipbuilding, maritime infrastructure, and underwater mining complexes.

The second company under sanctions, Reiven Technologies, supplied goods to Russia via China and Kazakhstan. The importer was a Russian company headquartered in St. Petersburg.

Canada imposes additional sanctions on Russia

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Canada has imposed additional sanctions on Russia. The Government of Canada has claimed that the sanctions are directed against individuals and legal entities involved in operations on disinformation and propaganda.

In addition, the sanctions aim to organizations involved in circumventing sanctions that facilitate Russia’s access to sanctioned goods and a ban on the export of numerical control machines that Russia can use for weapon production.

Ekaterina Mizulina and Alexander Malkevich / Photo: oprf.ru

The sanctions list includes Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League; Alexander Malkevich, member of the Public Chamber of Russia; Aram Gabrelyanov, media manager; Pobeda Airlines; TV channels Saint Petersburg, Tavria TV, Mariupol 24, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

These individuals and entities have been added to the sanctions list:

  • Evgeny Andreevich SHESTAKOV (born in 1969) (also known as Eugeniy Andreevich SHESTAKOV)
  • Alexander Alexandrovich MALKEVICH (born on June 14, 1975) (also known as Aleksandr Aleksandrovich MAL’KEVICH and Alexandr Aleksandrovich MAL’KEVICH)
  • Yulia Fyodorvna SHAMAL (born on June 5, 1977) (also known as Julia Fedorovna SHAMAL)
  • Maksim Anatolyevich SHUGALEY (born on February 24, 1966) (also known as Maxim Anatolyevich SHUGALEI)
  • Alexander Gennadyevich SIDYAKIN (born on November 17, 1977) (also known as Aleksander Gennadievich SIDYAKIN)
  • Anton Andreevich ALIKHANOV (born on September 17, 1986)
  • Boris Vsevolodovich GROMOV (born on November 7, 1943)
  • Ekaterina Mikhailovna MIZULINA (born on September 1, 1984) (also known as Yekaterina Mihailovna MIZULINA)
  • Veronika Yuryevna KRASHENINNIKOVA (born on October 12, 1971)
  • Alexandra Vladimirovna KOSTERINA (born on February 26, 1980) (also known as Aleksandra Vladimirovna KOSHARNITSKAYA)
  • Aram Ashotovich GABRELYANOV(born on August 10, 1961)
  • SEVERTRUCKS LLC
  • Electroagregat JSC
  • Research and Development Association “Electromashina”, SC
  • Electroavtomatika JSC
  • Elecond JSC
  • Novorossiysk Shipping Company (also known as Novorossiysk Shipping Company, PAO or PJSC “Novoship” or “Novoship”)
  • Pobeda LLC (also known as Pobeda Airlines)
  • Russian National Reinsurance Company JSC (also known as RNRC or RNPK).

The UK tightens sanctions against Russia

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The UK has announced new sanctions on Russia, adding about 50 companies and individuals to the sanctions list.
According to the government’s statement, new sanctions target suppliers of munitions, machine tools, microelectronics, and logistics for Russia’s military, including entities based in China, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye.

They also crack down on institutions at the heart of Russia’s financial system, including the Moscow Stock Exchange.

Well-known Russian businessmen have been sanctioned, including Ivan Tavrin, founder of Kismet Capital Group, which provides equipment for mobile operators, and Armen Meruzhanovich Sargsyan, founder and owner of S8 Capital, the multidisciplinary holding which owns Russian tire factories.

Sanctions have also been imposed on NAMI, Russia’s leading scientific organization in automotive industry development.

The United States hits the ruble exchange rate

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions on Russia. These sanctions could cause the ruble to fall.

“Today’s actions strike at their remaining avenues for international materials and equipment, including their reliance on critical supplies from third countries. We are increasing the risk for financial institutions dealing with Russia’s war economy and eliminating paths for evasion, and diminishing Russia’s ability to benefit from access to foreign technology, equipment, software, and IT services. Every day, Russia continues to mortgage its future to sustain its unjust war of choice against Ukraine,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen.

Janet L. Yellen / The U.S. Department of the Treasury

Treasury has targeted the architecture of Russia’s financial system.

The US has imposed sanctions on Moscow Exchange (MOEX), which operates Russia’s largest public stock, fixed-income, foreign exchange, and money markets

.After the imposition of sanctions, the Moscow Exchange is unable to form the exchange rate of the ruble against the dollar and the euro.

The Central Bank of Russia has already issued a statement reassuring Russians. The bank claims that transactions with US dollars and euros will continue to be conducted on the over-the-counter market and, to determine the official exchange rates for US dollars and euro against rubles, the bank will use bank statements and information obtained from digital platforms for over-the counter trading. Companies and individuals can also continue buying and selling US dollars and Euros through Russian banks.