PRESS RELEASE : Largest ever UK action targets Putin’s access to foreign military supplies [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 August 2023.

Foreign Secretary announces 25 new sanctions targeting Putin’s access to foreign military equipment.

• Foreign Secretary announces 25 new sanctions targeting Putin’s access to foreign military equipment.
• This includes individuals and businesses in Turkey, Dubai, Slovakia and Switzerland who are supporting the illegal war in Ukraine.
• The UK is also tackling Iranian and Belarusian support for Russia’s war machine.

The Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly has today (8 August 2023) announced 22 new sanctions on individuals and businesses outside Russia supporting Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, as well as 3 Russian companies importing electronics vital to Russia’s military equipment used on the battlefield.

Today’s measures will damage Russia’s defence systems by cutting off Putin’s access to foreign military equipment. Among those sanctioned are:

• Two Turkey based businesses, Turkik Union and Azu International, for their role in exporting microelectronics to Russia that are essential for Russia’s military activity in Ukraine.
• Dubai based Aeromotus Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Trading LLC, for its role in supplying drones and drone components to Russia.
• Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev, for his involvement in an attempted arms deal between the DPRK and Russia.
• Swiss national Anselm Oskar Schmucki, for his role in Russia’s financial services sector, including through working as Chief of the Moscow office of DuLac Capital Ltd.

We are also taking further action to tackle Iran and Belarus’ support for Russia’s military. The UK has previously imposed sanctions on Belarus for continuing to actively facilitate Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has called out Iran’s destabilising role in global security, including through sanctions against Iranian suppliers of the UAVs used by Russia to target Ukrainian civilians. Today’s sanctions include:

• Iranian individuals and entities involved in the research, development and production of UAVs for the IRGC.
• Belarusian defence organisations linked to the manufacturing of military technology for the Belarusian regime, which has directly facilitated Putin’s illegal war.

The UK is also sanctioning three Russian companies operating in the electronics sector for their role in procuring UK-sanctioned western microelectronics that are essential for sustaining Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.

This sanctions package is part of a series of wider action targeting those critical to supplying and funding Putin’s war machine – and it is the biggest ever UK action on military suppliers in third countries.

The Russian defence industry is severely stretched and focused entirely on sustaining the war. Unable to access Western components, the Russian military is struggling to produce sufficient top-end equipment and is now desperately searching for foreign armaments. Russia is already having to mobilise soviet-era tanks and harvest kitchen freezers for low-grade chips. Today’s package tackles Russia’s attempts to circumvent and offset these clear impacts of UK and allies’ sanctions.

Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Today’s landmark sanctions will further diminish Russia’s arsenal and close the net on supply chains propping up Putin’s now struggling defence industry.

There is nowhere for those sustaining Russia’s military machine to hide.

Alongside our G7 partners, the UK has repeatedly called on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s aggression or face severe costs.

We will continue working together with our international partners to prevent third parties supplying weapons and welcome stronger action to clamp down on rogue military supplies and sanctions circumvention. The UK is committed to maintaining international efforts to ensure sanctions are effective, investigate activities that support circumvention and act accordingly. We welcome cooperation from third countries where they are taking steps to address actions by those in their jurisdictions supplying Russia.

Through this sanctions package, the UK is also taking further steps to tackle countries actively supporting Putin by supplying weapons and military components directly to Russia, including Iran, Belarus and DPRK. Among these new designations is the Belarusian company Gomel Radio Plant which is repairing Russian military equipment; and the Iranian Paravar Pars Company, a key regime-linked UAV manufacturer, and seven of its executives. Iran is responsible for supplying Russia with the kamikaze drones used to bombard Ukraine.