US Blacklists Two Estonian Firms Over Alleged Electronics Deliveries to Russia

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Commerce Department has included Estonia-based companies Eastline Technologies and Adamir along with Moscow-based Real Components on a black list over alleged deliveries of US electronic components that are prohibited for export to Russia.

"U.S. Department of Commerce, through its Office of Export Enforcement (“OEE”), has requested that I issue an order temporarily denying, for a period of 180 days, the export privileges of Eastline Technologies OU (“Eastline”), Adimir OU (“Adimir”)… OEE also has requested, pursuant to Sections 766.23 and 766.24 of the Regulations, that this order (“the TDO”) be applied to Real Components, Ltd. (“Real Components”) as a related person," the statement issued by the department on Monday said.

The announced restrictions will also target Valery Kosmachov and Sergey Vetrov, who, according to the US authorities, were listed as co-owners of Eastline until late 2016 and reportedly maintained their roles in managing the company's affairs.

The US Commerce Department suspected the aforementioned companies of transshipping US-manufactured electronic components through Estonia and Finland to Russia, which, under US law, requires a license.

READ MORE: Invisible Shield, Invisible Sword: Russia's Electronic Warfare 'Second to None'

On August 8, the US administration announced new sanctions against Russia, consisting of two packages, over its alleged use of chemical weapons in the March poisoning attack on former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury. The first package of sanctions, which includes a ban on deliveries of dual-purpose electronic devices and components to Russia, took effect on August 27.