Six Russian individuals, eight entities, and two Ukrainian individuals were designated today by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury, in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. According to OFAC’s statement, the designations target individuals and entities for their involvement in the purported annexation of Crimea, in attacks on Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait, and for their support of separatist government elections in eastern Ukraine. The designations are pursuant to Executive Orders 13661, 13662, and 13685, and include the heads of the Border Directorate of Russia’s Federal Security Service and the Coast Guard Unit of the Russian Federal Security Service, and the deputy director of the Border Guard Service of Russia’s Federal Security Service, several Russian defense firms, a construction company and an oil and gas exploration company. The designations also cover two Ukrainian separatists for their role in the November 2018 elections in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. All property and interests in the property of the designated individuals and entities are blocked as a result of the designations, and US persons are prohibited from transacting with them.
In a parallel action, the Council of the European Union added eight Russian officials to the list of persons subject to restrictive measures in connection with actions in Ukraine, which now covers 170 individuals and 44 entities. The Council extended the validity of the restrictive measures until September 15, 2019.