INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United States unveiled sweeping sanctions Friday against almost 400 individuals and companies tied to Russia's war effort in Ukraine,
a day before Ukraine's independence day.The moves announced by the United States Treasury, State and Commerce departments build on a raft
of existing sanctions against Russia over the invasion, now well into its third year."Russia has turned its economy into a tool in service
of the Kremlin's military industrial complex," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement."Treasury's actions today
continue to implement the commitments made by President Biden and his G7 counterparts to disrupt Russia's military-industrial base supply
chains and payment channels," he added.The Treasury Department's sanctions targeted nearly 400 individuals and entities both inside and
outside of Russia "whose products and services enable Russia to sustain its war effort and evade sanctions," it announced in the
statement.Among those sanctioned were 60 Russia-based defense and technology firms "critical for the sustainment and development of Russia's
defense industry," it added.Alongside the sanctions unveiled Friday, the United States Commerce Department said it was taking "aggressive
action" to further restrict the supply of items made in the United States, or labeled as such, to both Russia and Belarus, due to "the
Kremlin's illegal war on Ukraine.""Today's actions will further constrain Russia's ability to arm its military by targeting illicit
procurement networks designed to circumvent global export controls," it announced in a statement.
