Obsession Continues: US Extends Anti-Russia Sanctions 'Over Ukraine'

Washington sanctioned 34 Russian individuals and entities using the Ukrainian crisis as a pretext.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States has extended anti-Russia sanctions 'over Ukraine' targeting 34 individuals and entities, the US Treasury Department announced in a release on Tuesday.

“In today’s action, OFAC [Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control] named 34 individuals and entities under Ukraine-related sanctions authorities,” the release said.

The sanctions targeted a number of subsidiaries of VTB Bank, Sberbank and Rostec. The sanctions also targeted 14 individuals and entities linked to Gennady Timchenko, Arkady Rotenberg, Boris Rotenberg as well as the Kalashnikov Concern and Izhevsky Mekhanichesky Zavod JSC.

The subsidiaries of Russian banks have been sanctioned because they are owned by their previously-designated respective parent entities,, the release explained.

The 14 individuals and entities, including Sven Olsson, Lerma Trading, Volgogradneftemash and Moskovskiy Oblatstnoy Bank, have been targeted because they are owned or controlled by individuals who provide material support to or act on behalf of previously designated persons, including Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and the Kalshnikov Concern.

The extended sanctions lists also included two former Ukrainian government officials Vitaliy Zakharchenko and Dmytro Tabachnyk.

The United States, the European Union and their allies imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia in 2014 over Moscow's alleged meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs. The allegations have repeatedly been refuted by Russia.

The United States introduced sanctions against 12 entities, including wineries, for operating in Crimea "in violation" of President Barack Obama’s executive order blocking certain transactions with the region, the US Treasury Department said.

"Today’s action also targets 12 entities pursuant to E.O. 13685, which authorizes sanctions on, among others, any person determined to be operating in the Crimea region of Ukraine in violation of E.O. 13685," the release said.

The sanctioned entities include three Russian banks, a Crimean air transportation company, a number of wineries and distilleries, along with a health resort and a film production studio.

In December 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13685 to block property of certain individuals and prohibit a number of transactions with Crimea following its reunification with Russia.

Crimea seceded from Ukraine to rejoin Russia in March 2014 following a referendum in which 96 percent of residents voted in favor of reunification. The United States and its allies have refused to recognize the results of the referendum, and imposed an economic embargo against Crimea in 2014, which included a ban on investments and restrictive measures targeting Crimean individuals and companies.