U.S. sanctions Russians bankrolling Putin and Russia-backed influence actors

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of State intensified pressure on Russia by sanctioning numerous Russian elites and their family members, identifying certain property of these persons as blocked, and sanctioning Russian intelligence-directed disinformation outlets.

The elites sanctioned continue to provide direct and indirect support to the Government of the Russian Federation through their business empires, wealth, and other resources.

The aid allows President Putin to continue to wage the invasion of Ukraine, the report explains.

Blocked as part of today’s action are three Russian elites, two of their spouses, three of their adult children, six of their companies, one of Russia’s largest privately-owned aircraft, and one of the world’s largest superyachts.

As with previous announcements, these actions were taken in close coordination with the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, the ROK, and Australia, demonstrating global support for Ukraine and the commitment to hold Russia’s authoritarian leadership responsible for their actions.

As a part of the transatlantic effort to further deny Russian elites the benefits of

In addition to sanctioning elites, OFAC designated 26 Russia- and Ukraine-based individuals and seven Russian entities in connection with the Russian government’s efforts to promulgate disinformation and influence perceptions. Russian intelligence services, including the Federal Security Service (FSB), Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), employ disinformation outlets and intelligence service affiliates to spread false narratives that advance Russian strategic objectives to destabilize Ukraine and falsely justify the Kremlin’s activities, the statement says.

The individuals and entities designated today have played various roles in Russia’s global influence campaign, including in Ukraine.

The Department of State is also imposing substantial costs on Russia’s defense enterprises by sanctioning 22 defense-related firms. These far-reaching sanctions target a wide range of Russian defense enterprises, including entities that develop and produce fighter aircraft, infantry fighting vehicles, electronic warfare systems, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles for Russia’s military. These sanctions strike at the core of Putin’s war machine. 

Among those sanctioned is Alisher Usmanov, one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires with vast holdings across multiple sectors of the Russian Federation economy as well as internationally.

Among his assets blocked is Dilbar, a superyacht he owns.

Another sanctioned mogul is Nikolay Tokarev, a long-time Putin associate who served with Putin in KGB. Now he is the president of one of Russia’s most important companies, Transneft, a state-owned pipeline operator that is responsible for transporting 90 percent of oil extracted in Russia.

Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who was previously designated pursuant to multiple sanctions authorities for facilitating attempts to interfere in U.S. elections and supporting the Russian gov’t, is the Russian financier of the Internet Research Agency (IRA), which he utilizes to operate global influence operations. Prigozhin's influence apparatus is reportedly supporting Russian government-designed influence operations within Ukraine. These influence efforts are focused on sowing discord on social issues. Russia’s efforts to promote false narratives on various topics, including Russia-Ukraine relations, relies on platforms associated with Prigozhin. Prigozhin also made efforts to spread disinformation on European politicians and officials to specifically achieve Russia’s goals in relation to Ukraine.

Additionally, today the Department of State designated several additional Russian elites as well as portions of their familial and business networks and multiple entities related to the Russian military.

Further action was taken against Russian intelligence-directed disinformation outlets, including Strategic Culture Foundation, InfoRos, NewsFront, and SouthFront, for propagating Russian intelligence services-directed content.  

Russia’s disinformation and propaganda machine is a network of official and unofficial communication channels and platforms that Russia uses to create and amplify false narratives.

Russia sought to downplay Western concerns about a (then) potential further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian intelligence entities target Ukrainian and Russian citizens with disinformation attempting to label Ukraine and Ukrainian government officials as the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine relationship. Russia’s disinformation playbook employs specifically placed propaganda at the behest of Russian intelligence services to manipulate and weaken perceived adversaries.