US Targets Lukashenko's Wife in New Russia, Belarus Sanctions

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Treasury unveiled new Russia- and Belarus-related sanctions on Tuesday, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's wife among the targets.

"SPECIALLY DESIGNATED NATIONALS LIST UPDATE. The following individuals have been added to OFAC's SDN List: LUKASHENKA, Halina Radzivonawna ... Belarus; DOB 01 Jan 1955; nationality Belarus; Gender Female (individual) [BELARUS]," the statement said.

The sanctions also target the Kurchaloy district branch of the Chechnya interior ministry.

Halina Lukashenko was designated "pursuant to E.O. 13405 for being a senior-level official, family member of such an official, or a person closely linked to such an official who is responsible for or has engaged in public corruption related to Belarus," the Treasury explained.

"The following entity has been added to OFAC's SDN List: KURCHALOI DISTRICT OF THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC BRANCH OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION," the statement said.

A number of Russian deputy defense ministers, as well as the heads of the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation and Rosoboronexport, Dmitry Shugayev and Alexander Mikheev, respectively, were also added to the sanctions list.

Commenting on the sanctions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they are related to alleged human rights abuses and the Russian military operation in Ukraine, and accused Belarus of supporting and facilitating Moscow's actions.

On February 24, Russia began a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. Several days into the operation, the Russian armed forces accused the Ukrainian military of using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and civilian quarters.