US Adds 5 Russian Defense Companies, Gazprom Entities to Sanctions List

The United States added five Russian defense companies and a score of Gazprom entities, including the Gazprom Media Holding, to the US sectoral sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, the US Department of the Treasury said in a press release on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US authorities have added dozens of new Russian and Ukrainian entities and individuals to the sanctions list related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"The following entities have been added to OFAC's [Office of Foreign Assets Control] SDN [Specially Designated Nationals] List: Shipyard ‘Zaliv’… Shipyard ‘Morye’ … Ship Repair Center ‘Zvezdochka’…‘Feodosia Optical Plant’… ‘Uranis-Radiosistemy’," the release stated.

"Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated the Specially Designated Nationals List and the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List to target sanctions evasion and other activities related to the conflict in Ukraine," the release stated.

US authorities have also imposed sanctions on eight ministers of the Republic of Crimea. The new sanctions list also includes the head of the Federal Security Service Directorate, director of the Investigative Committee Chief Investigations Division and the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers and permanent representative to the President of the Russian Federation.

Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated in 2014 after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis. The United States, the European Union and some of their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russian sanctions since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014, and accused Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian internal conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations, and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability