US imposes fresh set of sanctions on Russia, adds foreign ministry spokeswoman in the list

On Thursday, June 2, United States slapped new sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, naming top Russian government figures and corporate leers with close ties to President Vlimir Putin as targets. Among individuals mentioned are an oligarch who controls a significant steel industry, a yacht manment company, a spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, and a cellist who US Treasury believes acts as a middleman for Russian President Vlimir Putin.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday said that US will continue to "to impose severe costs" on Russia. In latest steps to crack down on people who support Russia, US state, commerce, and treasury departments each imposed ir own ditional restrictions, including tighter limitations on sale of US techlogy that could aid Russian military.

US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned four more megayachts, including Russian-flagged Graceful and Cayman Islands-flagged Olympia. According to Treasury Department, Russian President Vlimir Putin has taken several vacations on boats, including one in Black Sea with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last year.

US sanction list targets Maria Zakharova & one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires

It also targeted Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, as well as Alexey Mordashov, one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires, and his family members and businesses, including one of country's largest domestic steel factories. Imperial Yachts, a Monaco-based broker that allows superyacht owners, including Russian oligarchs, to lease ir vessels when y are t in use, was also named on sanctions' list. It also sanctioned an aviation firm for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to transfer aircraft to an offshore entity in order to dodge sanctions.

Sergei Roldugin, a cellist and conductor alrey sanctioned by European Union for his ties to Putin, has been ded to US list of sanctioned individuals. ruling places a freeze on Roldugin's assets in United States and prohibits Americans from conducting business with him. Meanwhile, according to a White House fact sheet, US Department of Commerce put 71 entities from Russia and Belarus to its entity list, reby cutting off ir access to crucial techlogies.

Im: AP