U.S. sanctions entities for Russia-North Korea arms deals

Washington sanctioned three entities on Wednesday for alleged involvement in arms deals between North Korea and Russia. “As Russia has continued to expend munitions and lose heavy equipment on the battlefield, it has…

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson with U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia, speaks during a news conference on April 25 at the Department of Justice in Washington. [AP/YONHAP]

Washington sanctioned three entities on Wednesday for alleged involvement in arms deals between North Korea and Russia.

“As Russia has continued to expend munitions and lose heavy equipment on the battlefield, it has been increasingly forced to turn to its few allies, including the DPRK, to sustain its unprovoked war in Ukraine,” said the U.S. Treasury Department in a statement, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its full name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“This action is part of the continuing U.S. strategy to identify, expose and disrupt third-country actors seeking to support Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine."

The sanctioned entities were Limited Liability Company Verus, located in Moscow, Russia; Defense Engineering Limited Liability Partnership, located in Astana, Kazakhstan; and Versor S.R.O., located in Bratislava, Slovakia.

All three have been either owned or operated by a Slovakian national named Ashot Mkrtychev, who has been sanctioned by the department since March 30. The Slovakian was also sanctioned by the British government earlier this month.

According to the U.S. government, Mkrtychev coordinated with North Koreans to conduct negotiations with other companies and attempted to facilitate weapons trade between North Korea and Russia.

North Korea is estimated to have supplied at least 20 different types of weapons and military resources to Russia since the end of last year, according to Washington.

“The United States continues to root out illicit financial networks that seek to channel support from North Korea to Russia’s war machine,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “Alongside our allies and partners, we remain committed to exposing and disrupting the arms trade underpinning Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine.”

Signs that the two countries were edging closer amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and military provocations by Pyongyang were also evident by the presence of the Russian defense minister at the North’s military parade in late July, during its commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

Any engagement between a U.S. entity and the Slovakian or his three companies is effectively banned with the latest additional sanctions, and any person who tries to engage henceforth may also be sanctioned, said the Treasury Department.

Seoul welcomed the latest American sanctions.

“Our government welcomes this action by the United States,” said Lim Soo-suk, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Thursday. “Going forward, together with our allies, including the United States, we will continue our efforts to strengthen the international community's cooperation on North Korea, including thorough implementation of existing United Nations Security Council sanctions.”

The Yoon Suk Yeol government, taking a hardline stance on North Korea’s military provocations, has placed unilateral sanctions on 49 individuals and 50 organizations tied to North Korean weapons programs as of last month.

“The government will continue to review the need for unilateral sanctions against North Korea in order to actively respond to its illegal nuclear and missiles development and arms trade,” said Lim.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]