The United States will continue to impede the Kremlin’s ability to arm and equip its war machine engaged in an unjustified war against Ukraine.  The Department of State is designating five entities and one individual linked to the Wagner Group and its head, Yevgeniy Prigozhin.  Additionally, the Department is designating nine individuals and 14 entities for their status as government officials, their involvement in the extended networks of designated persons, and/or for being part of Russia’s military industrial complex.  Finally, the Department is identifying two yachts and one aircraft as blocked property.  All targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024, which authorizes sanctions with respect to specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS OF THE WAGNER GROUP

• CHARTER GREEN LIGHT MOSCOW is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(i) for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy. Charter Green Light is an aircraft charter service that offers VIP, group, cargo, and helicopter charters based in Moscow, Russia.  It has been reported that it is the preferred company of the Wagner Group, which uses its charter planes to transport Wagner personnel and equipment.
• ALEKSEI ALEKSEEVICH MALYAREVICH is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a person (Charter Green Light) whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. Malyarevich is the founder and CEO of Charter Green Light.
• AFRICA POLITOLOGY is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a person (Yevgeniy Prigozhin) whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. Africa Politology develops strategies and mechanisms to induce Western countries to withdraw their presence in Africa and is involved in a series of Russian influence tasks in the Central African Republic, to include undermining Western influence, discrediting the UN, and carrying out lawsuits against Western press outlets.
• PRIME SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a person (Wagner Group) whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. Prime Security and Development has acted as a Wagner Group front company and its Director General has represented Wagner in discussions with African governments.
• SEWA SECURITY SERVICES is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, persons (Yevgeniy Prigozhin and the Wagner Group) whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. The Wagner Group’s official presence in the Central African Republic (CAR) is via Sewa.
• OFFICERS UNION FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY (OUIS) is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a person (the Wagner Group) whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. OUIS has acted as a Wagner Group front company and has been used to obfuscate the identity of Wagner personnel.

RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

The following three officials of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service have been identified as having facilitated the recruitment of Russian prisoners into the Wagner Group.  These individuals are being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(A) for being persons who are or have been leaders, officials, senior executive officers, or members of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation:

• DMITRIY NIKOLAEVICH BEZRUKIKH
• ARKADIY ALEKSANDROVICH GOSTEV 
• IVAN PAVLOVITCH PROKOPENKO 

Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, DENIS VALENTINOVICH MANTUROV, is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(A) for being a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation.  Manturov oversees Russia’s defense industry and the production of war materiel for Russia’s use in Ukraine.

The Chairman of the Election Commission of the Rostov Region, ANDREY VLADIMIROVICH BUROV, is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(A) for being a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation.  Burov is responsible for facilitating illegitimate referendums in the occupied regions of Ukraine.

VLADIMIR POTANIN’S NETWORK

Vladimir Olegovich Potanin, one of Russia’s wealthiest oligarchs, was designated alongside members of his network on December 15, 2022. Today, we are designating four additional entities in Potanin’s network:

• MK INTERROS INVEST is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Potanin, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(C). MK Interros Invest is a holding company used by Potanin to control his minority stake in Norilsk Nickel.
• WHITELEAVE HOLDINGS LIMITED (WHITELEAVE) is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, MK Interros Invest, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii). Whiteleave is a holding company and an affiliate of Potanin’s Interros Group that holds shares in Norilsk Nickel.
• SALTCLIFF TRADING LIMITED (SALTCLIFF) is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Whiteleave, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii).Saltcliff is a holding company owned or controlled by Potanin that manages his investments.
• INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY INTERROS CAPITAL (INTERROS CAPITAL) is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Whiteleave, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii).Interros Capital is a firm owned or controlled by Potanin, which purchased a majority stake in Rosbank.

Additionally, the Department of State is designating SERGEY LEONIDOVICH BATEKHIN, the CEO of Interros, pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(C) for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Kholdingovaya Kompaniya Interros OOO (Interros), an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(i). Interros was founded by Vladimir Potanin.

BUSINESSMAN ADONEV AND HIS NETWORK

Sergei Nikolaevich Adonev is a businessman in Russia who acts as a financier to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Rostec State Corporation head Sergei Chemezov.

• LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY KALEIDOSKOP is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(i) for being an entity that operates or has operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy.
• SERGEI NIKOLAEVICH ADONEV is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(C) for being a person who is a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Kaleidoskop, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(i).
• FILIPP SERGEEVICH ADONYEV is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(v) for being the spouse or adult child of Adonev, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(C).
• LUKA SERGEEVICH ADONYEV is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(v) for being the spouse or adult child of Adonev, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant Section 1(a)(iii)(C).
• The yacht ADDICTION is being identified as blocked property in which Sergei Nikolaevich Adonev has an interest.
• The yacht ANATTA is being identified as blocked property in which Sergei Nikolaevich Adonev has an interest.
• The aircraft S5-SAD is being identified as blocked property in which Sergei Nikolaevich Adonev has an interest.

ENTITIES SUPPORTING RUSSIA’S MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO DALNEVOSTOCHNYY TSENTR SUDOSTROYENIYA I SUDOREMONTA (AO DTSSS) (A.K.A. Joint Stock Company Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center) is a shipbuilding and repair company that supports Russia’s military forces.  AO DTSSS is being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation. Along with its subsidiaries, AO DTSSS is one of the main entities responsible for building and servicing Russia’s Pacific Fleet. AO DTSSS and its subsidiaries are additionally playing roles in Russia’s attempts to expand its military and economic influence in the Arctic, Far East, and Pacific.

The following subsidiaries of AO DTSSS are being designated pursuant to Section 1(a)(vii) for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, AO DTSSS:

• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO TSENTR SUDOREMONTA DALZAVOD
• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO SEVERO-VOSTOCHNYY REMONTNYY TSENTR
• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO DALNEVOSTOCHNYY ZAVOD ZVEZDA 
• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO 179 SUDOREMONTNYY ZAVOD 
• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO 30 SUDOREMONTNYY ZAVOD 
• OBSHCHESTVO S ORGANICHENNOY OTVETSTVENNOSTYU DALNEVOSTOCHNYY PROEKTNYY INSTITUT VOSTOKPROEKTVERF
• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO VLADIVOSTOKSKOYE PREDPRIYATIE ELEKTRORADIOAVTOMATIKA
• AKTSIONERNOYE OBSHCHESTVO TSENTRALNOYE KONSTRUKTORSKOYE BYURO LAZURIT

VISA RESTRICTIONS 

The Department of State is further taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 531 members of the Russian Federation military for actions that threaten or violate the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of Ukraine pursuant to Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.  In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.