US Targets Russians With Sanctions Over Support For North Korea Weapons Program

The sanction comes on the back of the fears that North Korea may soon resume full testing of long-range ICBMs and nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017.

New Delhi: The US has imposed sanctions against North Korea and also targeted Russian individuals and companies after the US and South Korean officials said Pyongyang had used its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in two recent launches.

Who are targeted under the sanctions?

In its announcement, the US Treasury has targeted two Russian nationals and three Russian firms it linked to North Korea's procurement activities for the missile programsm, according to Reuters.

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The sanction raises fears that North Korea may soon resume full testing of long-range ICBMs and nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017.

The US has named the Russians as Aleksandr Andreyevich Gayevoy and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Chasovnikov, both from Vladivostok. Other than the two people it also named the Russian firms Apollon OOO, Zeel–M and RK Briz OOO.

"The DPRK continues to launch ballistic missiles in blatant violation of international law, posing a grave threat to global security," US Treasury Under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement. It referred to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

"Today's actions respond to this threat by targeting a network of Russia-based individuals and entities complicit in helping the DPRK procure components for its unlawful ballistic missile systems," he added.

The US has freezed any property held by the individuals or firms in the country and prohibited business dealings with them.

Calling the recent North Korean launches a "serious escalation", the US said it’s important for the international community to be united in opposing further development of such weapons. Not only these sanction, the US may also initiate a range of further actions in coming days.

In the past, punitive steps and international sanctions at the United Nations have failed to prevent North Korea's weapons' development over the years. Russia and China which supported UN sanctions after North Korea's last ICBM and nuclear tests in 2017 have since urged sanctions easing to encourage dialogue with North Korea.