In yet another step to penalize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has imposed fresh sanctions on selected government officials and yachts tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The sanctions are intended to "degrade the main networks used by Russia's elites, including Putin, to seek to hide and move money and anonymously use luxury assets around the globe, a statement released by the U.S. Treasury Department on June 2 disclosed.
Brian Nelson, the undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorist and financial Intelligence, said Russia's aristocracy, including Putin, rely on complicated support networks to "hide, relocate, and retain their riches and luxury possessions."
He added that they will continue to enforce sanctions and expose the corrupt structures through which Putin and his "elites benefit themselves."
Sergei Roldugin, a cellist and conductor who, based on the Treasury Department, acts as "custodian of Putin's offshore fortune," and Elena Mirtova, Roldugin's opera singer wife, are among those targeted.
For his ties to Putin, Roldugin has already been sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Treasury Department disclosed its sanctions order was carried out in conjunction with penalties announced by the U.S. State Department against five oligarchs and elites, including the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
The Russian-flagged Graceful and the Cayman Islands-flagged Olympia are two of the vessels targeted by the Treasury Department. They were designated by the Treasury as property in which Putin has a stake.
The Treasury also revealed that Putin has had multiple trips on boats, including one in the Black Sea with Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka last year.
Imperial Yachts in Monaco, which the Treasury department describes as "Kremlin-aligned," is the brokerage in target.
When Russian oligarchs and other superyacht owners are not using their yachts, they can rent them out through the brokerage.
"The claims made against us by the U.S. government and in the press are incorrect," an Imperial Yachts spokesman told the Associated Press in an emailed statement.
The company also said that it is not involved in their clients' financial concerns and other matters and that it plans to pursue all available legal measures to quickly address this matter.
Another target is a San Marino-based aviation company that the U.S. claims was involved in a conspiracy to transfer aircraft to an offshore company in order to dodge sanctions.
