Britain sanctions Putin's associates in China, Serbia, Türkiye and UAE
Britain extends sanctions against Russia (Getty Images)
The UK government has announced new sanctions targeting individuals and groups providing support and financing for Putin's military machine, according to the government statement.
The sanctions list includes companies in Belarus, China, Serbia, Türkiye, the UAE, and Uzbekistan that continue to support Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
"By including entities operating in China, Serbia, and Uzbekistan the UK has now taken action against over 30 third-country entities supporting Russia’s war efforts. This signals the UK’s no tolerance approach to those enabling Russia’s illegal war, wherever they may be," the statement reads.
The list of 46 new sanctions also includes Russian arms manufacturers and importers of military products, as well as three entities supporting the Wagner Group network and four operators of vessels from the so-called "shadow fleet" used by Russia to mitigate the impact of sanctions related to oil.
Sanctions list
Russia’s military-industrial complex: 31 individuals and entities linked to designing and manufacturing drones and missile parts and importing and supplying key electronic components. This includes several directors and their immediate family members.
Third-country suppliers to Russia’s military:
- JSC Display Design Bureau, a Belarusian defense organization linked to manufacturing military technology for the Belarusian regime, has directly facilitated Putin’s illegal war
- AVIO CHEM, a Serbian company that has sent multiple shipments of aircraft parts and accessories to Russian entities
- MVIZION, an Uzbek company that acted as an intermediary to import parts to Russia
- a Turkish entity, Smart Trading Limited, involved in the supply of sanctioned Western electronics to Russia
- 3 Chinese entities: Asia Pacific Links Limited, Sinno Electronics Co., Limited, and Xinghua Co., Limited, supply sanctioned goods, critical for Russia’s war efforts
Wagner Group related: 3 entities and individuals linked to the Wagner Group’s wider network, including RUSICH Military group, a private Russian company active in Ukraine, and its commander
Oil-related: 4 UAE-based entities using opaque corporate structures and deceptive shipping practices to facilitate unfettered trade in Russian oil, bearing down on Russia’s efforts to generate war revenues
Impact of sanctions
As stated by the UK government, the sanctions deprive the Russian army of key Western components and technologies, leading to a 98% reduction in Russian imports of military technologies.
"Pre-invasion Russia was a major exporter of arms. Instead, it is now having to turn to North Korea and Iran for unreliable equipment and to buy back parts it previously exported to other countries. While the world is moving forwards technologically, Russia is going backwards," the statement said.
EU sanctions
On November 15, the European Commission presented its proposals for the 12th package of sanctions against Russia to the EU Council. The proposals suggest imposing sanctions on over 120 individuals and legal entities for their role in undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It also proposes new import and export bans and measures to increase oil prices and counter EU sanctions evasion.
