The Commerce Department added Public Joint Stock Company
Megafon, Russia's second-largest mobile phone operator, to its
entity list for allegedly "acquiring and attempting to acquire"
U.S. technology to support Russia's military.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
The blacklisted companies also include two Chinese satellite
companies, Spacety Co Ltd, and China HEAD Aerospace Technology
Co, which also did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
Spacety Co, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury
Department in January, at the time said it complied with
international sanctions against Russia and maintained no ties
with the country after the restrictions were imposed.
The agency also imposed new export curbs on Iran, targeting
Russia's use of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine.
Of the scores of new additions to its trade restriction
list, 79 were Russia-based, five are listed under China, and two
are based in Canada. Another three entities are based in France,
Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Five of the Russian entities were listed for providing
support for what the United States called "filtration
operations" in occupied areas of Ukraine, which include "the use
of biometric technology in suppressing Ukrainian resistance and
enforcing loyalty among the Ukrainian population in occupied
areas."
Companies on the list are restricted from receiving
U.S.-origin goods and technology.
China on Friday said the only sanctions that should be
imposed on Russia should be endorsed by the U.N. Security
Council - where the Russians hold veto power - and unilateral
sanctions and pressure "only create new problems."
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Karen Freifeld; Additional
reporting by Doina Chiacu and Alexandra Alper; Editing by
Caitlin Webber, Alexandra Alper, Tomasz Janowski and Mark
Porter)
(Adds Russian entities for supporting biometric technology to
suppress Ukraine resistance)
By Karen Freifeld, Susan Heavey and Alexandra Alper
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The Biden administration
on Friday added Chinese and Russian companies, including
Russia's No. 2 mobile phone operator, to a trade blacklist for
allegedly supporting the Russian military, deepening its
crackdown on Moscow on the first anniversary of its invasion of
Ukraine.
The actions by the U.S. Commerce Department aim "to cut off
the Russian defense industrial base and military from even
low-technology consumer goods Russia seeks to obtain to sustain
the war effort," it said.
The moves show President Joe Biden's administration is
broadening its efforts to thwart Russia's military, targeting
companies globally for helping Moscow evade export restrictions
and access key technologies.
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