US Blacklists Feature 172 Russian Nationals, 350 Legal Entities

There are currently 172 Russian citizens as well as 350 our legal entities on the US ‘blacklists,’ including energy, military industry and financial flagships, according to Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia estimates the United States has blacklisted a total of 172 its nationals and 350 legal entities in the course of the past few years, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday.

"There are currently 172 Russian citizens as well as 350 our legal entities on the US ‘blacklists,’ including energy, military industry and financial flagships," Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing.

She accused Washington of "making up a thesis about Russia’s aggressive behavior, which is absolutely groundless," for propaganda purposes.

"The US used it as a pretext to build up Pentagon and NATO capabilities on the Russian borders, continue the deployment of its anti-missile shield and take other military actions," Zakharova told reporters.

The US Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control said last week the United States added five more Russians to its Specially Designated Nationals list for alleged violations of a US human rights legislation, dubbed Magnitsky Act. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov slammed the new sanctions, saying the outgoing US administration has fallen into a "sanctions mania."