US sanctions Russian, 2 companies for aiding Moscow’s war against Ukraine

The US sanctioned a Russian national and two of his companies Wednesday for helping Russia obtain key technologies to support Moscow's war effort against Ukraine.

The designations included what the Treasury Department described as a "procurement network" that included Yury Yuryevich Orekhov and two of his companies: Nord-Deutsche Industrieanlagenbau GmbH and Opus Energy Trading LLC.

Orekhov and his companies helped the Kremlin procure several key US-origin technologies, including advanced semiconductors and microprocessors used in several types of armaments, including fighter jets, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, smart munitions radars and satellites, the agency said in a statement.

The US has imposed strict export controls on the technologies, prohibiting their sale to Russia in retaliation for its war against Ukraine that began in February.

The items were ultimately sent "to Russian end-users," including some who have been previously sanctioned by the US, according to the Treasury Department. Some technologies Orekhov procured "have been found in Russian weapons platforms in Ukraine," it added.