US announces new sanctions against Chinese, Russian producers of drones used in Ukraine
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Oct. 17 new sanctions against two Chinese entities and one Russian company, as well as one Russian national, involved in the production of Russian Garpiya drones used to attack Ukraine.
Reuters reported in September that Russia had secretly established a development and production program in China to create the Garpiya attack drones to be used in the war in Ukraine.
The two Chinese companies — Limbach and Redlepus — have been working in tandem with IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of the Kremlin-owned weapons company Almaz-Antey, to create the drones, OFAC said in a statement.
The sanctioned Russian national — Artem Yamshchikov — is the owner of TSK Vektor, which helps with procurement for the aforementioned entities.
"Russia increasingly relies on the expertise of foreign professionals and the import of sophisticated technologies to sustain its weapons program and advance its military campaign against Ukraine," said Treasury official Bradley Smith.
"We will continue to disrupt the networks that enable Russia's acquisition and use of these advanced weapons."
China has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow and backed the country against Western sanctions.
Beijing has also emerged as one of Russia's leading sources of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry.
Olena Goncharova
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