US sanctions more Russian elites, targeting yachts and aircraft

By Jeremy Diamond and Betsy Klein, CNN

The White House on Thursday announced the latest round of sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting Russian government officials and elites with a slew of new financial and diplomatic sanctions.

The sanctions, issued by the Treasury and State Departments, take aim at the luxury assets of several prominent Russian elites — including several yachts and aircraft belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s associates — and “luxury asset management and service companies” working to evade US sanctions, according to a White House statement. The Commerce Department also issued new sanctions restricting Russia’s ability to secure military technologies.

The sanctions target several prominent Russian elites and government officials, including Russian businessman God Nisanov, whom Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls “one of the richest men in Europe and a close associate of several Russian officials” and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

The White House said in a statement that the latest sanctions are designed “to crack down on evasion and tighten our sanctions to enhance enforcement and increase pressure on Putin and his enablers.”

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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