WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that additional sanctions would be levied against Russian elites and Russian defense contractors.
According to the administration, the sanctions would be imposed against:
- 328 Duma members and sanction the Duma as an entity.
- Herman Gref, the head of Russia’s largest financial institution Sberbank and a Putin advisor since the 1990s.
- Russian elite Gennady Timchenko, his companies, and his family members.
- 17 board members of the Russian financial institution Sovcombank.
- 48 large Russian defense state-owned enterprises that are part of Russia’s defense-industrial base and produce weapons that have been used in Russia’s assault against Ukraine’s people, infrastructure, and territory, including Russian Helicopters, Tactical Missiles Corporation, High Precision Systems, NPK Tekhmash OAO, Kronshtadt.
The White House said, “We are targeting, and will continue to target, the suppliers of Russia’s war effort and, in turn, their supply chain.”
The new sanctions come as the president meets with European leaders and allies this week to discuss Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine.
Today is the one-month mark since Russian military forces invaded Ukraine. To date, NATO analysts say nearly 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the conflict, and close to two million Ukrainian citizens have been displaced.
U.S. officials fear that Russia may soon begin using chemical weapons as their efforts to take control of the nation have progressed slowly.
Officials within the Biden Administration said the president has set up a national security team that will make a plan of action in the event the Russian Federation uses biological or chemical weapons.
