InfoBytes Blog
OFAC sanctions Russian technology companies
On March 31, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced several new sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new sanctions, issued pursuant to Executive Order 14024, target 21 entities and 13 individuals connected to the Russian Federation “as part of its crackdown on the Kremlin’s sanctions evasion networks and technology companies.” Additionally, OFAC has determined that three additional sectors of the Russian Federation’s economy are subject to sanctions, which permits OFAC to impose sanctions on any individual or entity determined to operate or have operated in any of those sectors. According to OFAC, one of the sanctioned entities is a technology company that exports over 50 percent of Russian microelectronics and is Russia’s largest chipmaker. This action follows OFAC’s March 24 designation of dozens of companies in Russia’s defense-industrial base that are directly involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (covered by InfoBytes here). OFAC also expanded sanctions authorities to include the Russian aerospace, marine, and electronics sector. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned persons that are in the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, and “any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more” by the targeted persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Additionally, U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any dealings involving the property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons and entities, unless exempt or authorized by a general or specific OFAC license.