As part of its seventh sanctions package on Russia, the European Council added 48 individuals and nine entities to its sanctions list, including Russia's largest bank Sberbank and high-ranking members of the political class, Russian military and cultural establishment. The newly listed entities are Avlita Stevedoring; Nightwolves MC, a nationalist motorcycle club; Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund; Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent State Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation; Russkiy Mir Foundation; JSC Research and Production Assocation "Kvant"; Sberbank; Forss Group; and All-Russia "Young Army" Military Patriotic Social Movement.
India has substantially increased imports of Russian crude oil in the last few months and could start buying even more, said Reid l’Anson, a commodity economist with Kpler, during a July 22 webinar hosted by the Atlantic Council. India is on pace this month to buy 1 million Russian barrels per day, a significant surge from pre-invasion levels, l’Anson said.
The U.K. in a pair of financial sanctions notices amended one entry under its Libya sanctions regime and six under its Russian sanctions regime. On the Libya sanctions list, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended the entry for Abu Zayd Umar Dorda, the director of Libya's external security organization. Under the Russian restrictions list, OFSI amended the entries for individuals Irina Sergeyevna Bubnova, member of the Strategic Culture Foundation; Sergei Sergeivich Ivanov, Alrosa board chairman; and Natalya Petrovna Skorokhodova, member of the Strategic Culture Foundation. OFSI also amended the entries for entities Djeco Group LP, Major LLP and Photon Pro LLP.
The U.K. imposed new sanctions on Russia, the Export Control Joint Unit announced in a July 21 notice. The restrictions include a ban the import, acquisition and supply or delivery of oil and oil products and coal and coal products. The coal ban comes into force Aug. 10; the oil ban, on Dec. 31. The new measures also prohibit exports of items listed on the G-7 Dependency and Further Goods List to, or for use in, Russia, along with bans on the supply of these items from a third country to Russia. The restrictions also expand bans on the export or supply of energy-related goods, and ban the import of gold from Russia.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control should clarify its rules surrounding sanctioned ransomware groups, which are vague and are leading to industry confusion, a senior FBI official said this week. Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said the FBI has specifically urged OFAC to change its procedures around ransom payments and incident reporting for victims.
The EU this week adopted new sanctions and export controls against Russia in an effort to tighten existing restrictions against the country for its war in Ukraine. The package imposes new bans on the purchase, import or transfer of gold originating in Russia and restricts more exports of dual-use technologies. The measures also extend the EU’s port access ban to better limit Russia’s ability to evade sanctions and expand the scope of restrictions surrounding certain deposits.
Ivan Komaritsky, former corporate regulatory attorney at DLA Piper, has joined Rimon PC as counsel in the New York office, the firm announced. Komaritsky's practice centers around Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and U.S. economic sanctions matters. Throughout his career, Komaritsky has conducted internal investigations and FCPA corporate audits in countries around the globe, including in Russia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, the firm said.
The U.K. adopted an amendment to its Russian sanctions regime that alters the designation criteria for listing an individual or entity. The new criteria expand the definition of "involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia," to include working as a "manager" of or "holding the right, directly or indirectly," to nominate a director, trustee or equivalent of a Russian government-affiliated entity; an entity conducting business as a government affiliate; or an entity conducting business of economic significance to the Russian state.
The Senate is making progress on bipartisan legislation that would give the administration stronger authorities to investigate, prosecute and seize the assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs, including in cases of sanctions or export control evasion. The proposals received broad support this week from Senate Judiciary Committee members, who said DOJ’s powers should be expanded and bolstered to better punish Russian war crimes.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and its National Crime Agency issued a "Red Alert," titled "Financial Sanctions Evasion Typologies: Russian Elites and Enablers." The alert says sanctioned parties are using various techniques to skirt sanctions, including transferring assets to proxies. OFSI and NCA laid out the offenses that can apply to individuals or entities aiding sanctions circumvention. The alert contains a list of "indicators" of sanctions evasion and industry recommendations.