The U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), this week imposed sanctions on fourteen additional Ukrainian and Russian individuals and two organizations, including the Russian National Commercial Bank (RNCB), by adding them to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. These designations were issued pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13660 for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and misappropriation of Ukrainian states assets, and E.O. 13685 for operating in Crimea Region.

Treasury stated that the RNCB was added to the sanctions list because it had no presence in the Crimea region prior to the occupation by Russia, and because Russian authorities have illegally used the bank in efforts to incorporate Crimea into the Russian Federation.

Treasury also designated the Eurasian Youth Union and its three leaders for recruiting individuals to fight on behalf of the “self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR),” which threatens the sovereignty of the Ukraine.

Of the other 11 individuals, three are former Ukrainian officials, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mykola Azarov, the former First Deputy Prime Minister and former acting Prime Minister of Ukraine, Serhiy Arbuzov, and Raisa Bohatyriova, the former Minister of Health of Ukraine.

The other eight individuals represent Ukrainian separatists that have asserted governmental authority over a region of Ukraine without the authorization of the government of Ukraine.   These individuals include: Roman Lyagin, Aleksandr Karaman, Oleksandr Khodakovskyy, Serhii Zdriliuk, and Ekaterina Gubareva are all members or leaders in the self-proclaimed DPR; Yuriy Ivakin, the leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic; Sergei Abisov, a minister in the self-proclaimed Republic of Crimea; and Oleg Kozyura the head of the Federal Migration of Russia in Sevastopol, Crimea.

The above individuals and organizations have been blocked. Their property and interests in property within the U.S. are frozen and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from doing business with them.

These sanctions follow similar actions taken by the European Union and Canada. For additional information, please contact Joe Orlet.