Asserting that Moscow has been using chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces without authorization, the US has placed additional sanctions on hundreds of people and businesses connected to Russia's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
US officials on Wednesday announced measures targeting more than 280 entities in their latest effort to paralyse Russia’s military and industrial capabilities, including 20 firms based in China and Hong Kong.
The actions take place at a time when the administration of US President Joe Biden has been warning of growing military cooperation between China and Russia.
The Chinese companies targeted by the measures include a Chengdu-based firm accused of exporting drone parts to Russia and a Hong Kong-based firm accused of supplying parts found in Russian missile systems and UAVs.
The sanctions also target non-Russian organizations based in Belgium, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as people connected to the passing of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
The measures come on the heels of Biden singing a long-delayed bill to fund Kyiv’s military resistance against Russian forces.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement that "today's actions will further disrupt and degrade Russia's war efforts by going after its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it." She also added that the sanctions would support US efforts to "bolster Ukraine's courageous resistance."
As we slow down Russia’s war machine with sanctions, @POTUS's National Security Supplemental is providing military, economic, and humanitarian support to bolster Ukraine’s courageous resistance. These combined actions give Ukraine a critical leg up on the battlefield. https://t.co/zQ4CcmOwdP
— Secretary Janet Yellen (@SecYellen) May 1, 2024
The Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US Department of State on Wednesday also accused Russia of using the choking agent chloropicrin and “riot control agents” in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Chloropicrin, which is used in warfare and as a pesticide, can cause “immediate, severe inflammation of the eyes, nose and throat, and significant injuries to the upper and lower respiratory tract”, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” the State Department said.
