On January 20, 2021, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated four individuals who participated in efforts to destabilize Ukraine at the direction of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), a Russian intelligence agency that was sanctioned by the US in 2016 and 2018 for its participation in disruptive cyber activities including the SolarWinds cyber-attack, and in March of 2021 for its proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. According to OFAC, the designations target “purveyors of Russian disinformation” who intend to weaken Ukraine and degrade its ability to function independently and without Russian interference.
OFAC designated Toras Kozak and Oleh Voloshyn, two current Ukrainian Members of Parliament; former Ukrainian official Volodymyr Oliynyk who fled Ukraine to seek refuge in Russia; and Vladimir Sivkovich, the former Deputy Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council. The four were designated pursuant to Executive Order 14024 – Kozak for his efforts to interfere in a US or foreign government election on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, and Voloshyn, Oliynyk and Sivkovich for acting, directly or indirectly, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation. According to OFAC, Kozak used the news platforms that he controls in Ukraine to publicize false information about Ukrainian government officials and amplify false narratives related to the 2020 US elections. OFAC accused Voloshyn of working with Russian actors to undermine Ukrainian government officials and advance Russian interests, and Oliynyk of gathering information about Ukraine’s critical infrastructure for Russia. In 2021, Sivkovich allegedly participated in Russian influence operations in the Ukraine aimed at building support for an official surrender of Crimea to Russia.
As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of today’s designees within the United States or within the possession or control of a US person are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated persons. In addition, entities owned fifty percent or more by one or more designated persons are also blocked.
Department of Treasury Press Release