UPDATE: US blacklists 38 Russian tycoons, state officials, companies

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WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/ANOSINO, Moscow Region, Apr 6 (PRIME) -- The U.S. has imposed sanctions against seven Russian businessmen, 17 state officials, 12 companies, weapons producer Rosoboronexport and its affiliate bank, the Department of the Treasury said in a statement on Friday.

The list of businessmen comprises Surgutneftegas CEO Vladimir Bogdanov, tycoons Viktor Vekselberg, Kirill Shamalov, Igor Rotenberg, Oleg Deripaska, Suleiman Kerimov, Andrei Skoch.

The list of state officials comprises Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, VTB CEO Andrei Kostin, as well as Andrei Akimov, Mikhail Fradkov, Sergei Fursenko, Oleg Govorun, Alexei Dyumin, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Konstantin Kosachev, Nikolai Patrushev, Vladislav Reznik, Yevgeny Shkolov, Alexander Torshin, Vladimir Ustinov, Timur Valiulin, Alexander Zharov and Viktor Zolotov.

The list of companies comprises En+ Group, GAZ Group, RUSAL, Basic Element (BasEl), EuroSibEnergo and Renova, Gazprom Drilling, Russian Machines, B-Finance Ltd., Agroholding Kuban, NPV Engineering and Ladoga Menedzhment.

Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said as cited in the statement, “The Russian government engages in a range of malign activity around the globe, including continuing to occupy Crimea and instigate violence in eastern Ukraine, supplying the Assad regime with material and weaponry as they bomb their own civilians, attempting to subvert Western democracies, and malicious cyber activities. Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their government’s destabilizing activities.”

Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s committee for international affairs, said Russia will not leave the new U.S. sanctions without response, and retaliatory measures will concern various spheres, including politics and economy.

“I think a decision on retaliatory measures will be made, this will not remain without a corresponding reaction from Russia. Our response can affect various spheres, including politics, economy,” he said.

Vladimir Gutenev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s committee for legal support of development of defense companies, said that Russia should respond asymmetrically, so that economic losses discourage violation of principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international law. Moscow has all necessary resources for such retaliation, he added.

Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said the ministry will provide even more support to the sanctioned companies.

The ministry will severely punish companies in an administrative way for refusal to work with counterparties under sanctions, he said.

“There were some cases on introduced sanctions against Russian companies, and some banks, customers tried to get as far as possible from using products of these companies. We do not accept this. We will severely punish for this – in an administrative way,” he said.

En+ Group’s shares dropped 22% on the Moscow Exchange and RUSAL’s shares fell 12% on reports about new sanctions. En+ Group’s global depository receipts (GDRs) lost 20% on the London Stock Exchange.

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