The U.S. Treasury has expanded its sanctions against Russia by adding two more individuals to the list. A related notice was posted on the Ministry of Finance website to announce the update.
Yegor Popov and Alexei Sukhodolov, both Russians, were added to the sanctions list. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control did not provide a specific reason for their addition in that notice. OFAC described these men as officers of the FSB, noting they were recently indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with ongoing investigations.
One day earlier, U.S. authorities had announced sanctions against Myanmar’s Ministry of Defense and two of the country’s banks. The action followed allegations that the defense ministry has been purchasing weapons from foreign suppliers, including entities linked to Russia.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Defense reportedly continues to import goods from sanctioned Russian companies. This activity persists despite the military coup in Myanmar, raising concerns about the flow of weapons and military equipment from Russia to the country in defiance of international pressure.
The Ministry of Finance stated that the two Myanmar banks sanctioned in the recent measures provided currency exchange services to the government that came to power as a result of the coup, highlighting how financial institutions can enable officials and regimes to conduct business under sanctions regimes and international scrutiny.