US Department of State says the United States on January 15 sanctioned nearly 250 enablers of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.  As part of this action, the Department of State designated more than 150 individuals and entities.  

Building on its January 10 targeting of Russia’s energy sector, the January 15 action reportedly aims to thwart sanctions evasion, particularly by actors based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and to degrade Russia’s military industrial base.  Additional designations target subsidiaries of State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (Rosatom).

Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury on January 15 re-designated nearly 100 previously sanctioned targets across Russia’s financial services, energy, and defense and related materiel sectors. Treasury also designated entities involved in several financial sanctions evasion schemes.  

On January 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury moved against Russian efforts to evade U.S. sanctions.  This action targets a sanctions evasion scheme established between actors in Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to facilitate cross-border payments for sensitive goods.  In addition, Treasury designated a Kyrgyzstan-based financial institution that coordinated with Russian officials and a U.S.-designated bank to implement a sanctions evasion scheme.

Treasury sanctioned the following Russian companies as being involved in this scheme: Herbarium Office Management, Atlant Torg, Sigma Partners, Tranzaktsii i Raschety, Arctur and Paylink Limited.  It's also sanctioning Russian national Andrei Prikhodko, the general director of Herbarium.

Additionally, there are sanctions on China-based companies: Anhui Hongsheng International Trade, Qingyuan Fo Feng Leda Supply Chain Service, Heilongjiang Shunsheng Economic and Trade Development, Qingdao Hezhi Business Service, Xinjiang Financial Import and Export, Hangzhou Xianghe Trading, Shaanxi Hongrun Jinhua Trading, Fujian Xinfuwang International Trade, and Jilin Province Shunda Trading Company.

Separately, the Keremet Bank in Kyrgyzstan is being sanctioned for coordinating with Russian officials and a U.S. bank to evade sanctions.

The Treasury Department announced last week that it was expanding sanctions against the Russian energy sector for its nearly 3-year-old war in Ukraine.