Sanctioning Facilitators of Russia-DPRK Arms Transfers

Sanctioning Facilitators of Russia-DPRK Arms Transfers

Since last Autumn, Russia has been augmenting its dwindling supply of war materiel by making deals for ballistic missiles and other weapons with the DPRK, or North Korea.

“Russia has procured ballistic missile launchers and dozens of ballistic missiles from the DPRK in violation of Security Council resolutions,” said United States Political Minister Counselor to the UN, John Kelley on April 12.

“Since last December, Russian forces have used DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles to strike Ukraine nearly a dozen times, firing upwards of 40 DPRK ballistic missiles,” he said.

“Since last September, Russia has procured over 11,000 shipping containers of munitions and munitions-related materiel from the DPRK, in violation of the UN arms embargo on the DPRK.”

Indeed, “Russia has increasingly relied upon the DPRK for munitions to wage its war on Ukraine and has fired dozens of DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles against targets in Ukraine,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a written statement.

These illicit transfers have strengthened the military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK. The DPRK provides ballistic missiles and munitions to Russia, and in return, it seeks military assistance from Moscow.

For violating the United Nations arms embargo on the DPRK, on May 16, the United States State Department and the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, imposed sanctions on two Russia-based individuals and three entities. All were connected to the transfer of military equipment and components between the DPRK and the Russian Federation. They are designated pursuant to Executive Order 13551.

Rafael Anatolyevich Gazaryan worked with a previous-designated facilitator of arms deals between Russia and the DPRK, Ashot Mkrtychev, on arms transactions involving the DPRK and Russia and functioned as a point of contact for Mkrtychev’s negotiations.

Aleksey Budnev facilitated shipments to Russia of military communications equipment that likely originated from the DPRK.

Trans Kapital Limited Liability Company is being designated for having materially assisted Rafael Anatolyevich Gazaryan. Rafort Limited Liability Company was designated for being owned or controlled by Gazaryan, while Tekhnologiya, OOO, was designated for being owned or controlled by Budnev.

“Today’s action reflects our commitment to disrupt the DPRK’s deepening military cooperation with Russia,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to take action to hold accountable those who seek to facilitate the shipment of weapons and other materiel to enable Russia’s war.”