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• Foreign Secretary announces 25 new sanctions targeting Putin鈥檚 access to foreign military equipment

• this includes individuals and businesses in Turkey, Dubai,聽Slovakia聽and Switzerland who are supporting the illegal war in Ukraine

• the UK is also tackling Iranian and Belarusian support for Russia鈥檚 war machine

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has today (8 August 2023) announced 22 new sanctions on聽individuals and businesses outside Russia supporting Putin鈥檚 illegal invasion of Ukraine, as well as 3 Russian companies importing electronics vital to Russia鈥檚 military equipment used on the battlefield.

Today鈥檚 measures will damage Russia鈥檚 defence systems by cutting off Putin鈥檚 access to foreign military equipment. Among those sanctioned are:

• 2 Turkey based businesses,聽Turkik聽Union and Azu International, for their role in exporting microelectronics to Russia that are essential for Russia鈥檚 military activity in Ukraine

• Dubai-based聽Aeromotus聽Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Trading LLC, for its role in supplying drones and drone components to Russia

• Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev, for his involvement in an attempted arms deal between the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russia

• Swiss national Anselm Oskar Schmucki, for his role in Russia鈥檚 financial services sector, including through working as Chief of the Moscow office of聽DuLac聽Capital Ltd

We are also taking further action to tackle Iran and Belarus鈥� support for Russia鈥檚 military. The UK has previously imposed sanctions on Belarus for continuing to actively聽facilitate聽Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine and has called out Iran鈥檚 destabilising role in global security, including through sanctions against Iranian suppliers of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) used by Russia to target Ukrainian civilians. Today鈥檚 sanctions include:

• Iranian individuals and entities involved in the research,聽development聽and production of UAVs for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

• Belarusian defence organisations聽linked to the manufacturing of military聽technology for the Belarusian regime, which has directly聽facilitated聽Putin鈥檚聽illegal war

The UK is also sanctioning 3 Russian companies聽operating聽in the electronics sector for their role in聽procuring聽UK-sanctioned western microelectronics that are essential for sustaining Russia鈥檚 conflict in Ukraine.

This sanctions package is part of a series of wider action targeting those critical to supplying and funding Putin鈥檚 war machine 鈥� and it is the biggest ever UK action on military suppliers in third countries.

The Russian defence industry is severely stretched and focused entirely on sustaining the war. Unable to access Western components, the Russian military is struggling to produce sufficient top-end equipment and is now desperately searching for foreign armaments. Russia is already having to mobilise soviet-era tanks and harvest kitchen freezers for low-grade chips. Today鈥檚 package tackles Russia鈥檚聽attempts聽to circumvent and offset these clear impacts of UK and allies鈥� sanctions.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Today鈥檚 landmark sanctions will further diminish Russia鈥檚 arsenal and close the net on supply chains propping up Putin鈥檚 now struggling defence industry.

There is nowhere for those sustaining Russia鈥檚 military machine to hide.

Alongside our G7 partners, the UK has repeatedly called on third parties to聽immediately聽cease聽providing聽material support to Russia鈥檚 aggression or face severe costs.

We will continue working together with our international partners to prevent third parties supplying weapons and welcome stronger action to clamp down on rogue military supplies and sanctions circumvention. The UK is committed to聽maintaining聽international efforts to ensure sanctions are effective, investigate activities that support circumvention and act accordingly. We welcome cooperation from third countries where they are taking steps to address actions by those in their聽jurisdictions聽supplying Russia.

Through this sanctions package, the UK is also taking further steps to tackle countries actively supporting Putin by supplying weapons and military components directly to Russia, including Iran, Belarus and DPRK. Among these new designations is the Belarusian company Gomel Radio Plant which is repairing Russian military equipment; and the Iranian聽Paravar聽Pars Company, a key regime-linked UAV manufacturer, and seven of its executives. Iran聽is responsible for聽supplying Russia with the kamikaze drones used to bombard Ukraine.