UK sanctions tech companies supplying equipment for Putin's war machine

A Russian howitzer is firing at Ukrainian positions. Two companies based in Turkey have been sanctioned for supplying electronic components to Moscow's troops. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry press service via AP. .

James Cleverley, Foreign Minister, announced action against Azu International and Turkik Union for their role in exporting electronic components used by the Russian military.

Other companies based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran and Belarus have also been sanctioned.

Mr Cleverley said: Putin's defense industry, which is now in a quandary. Those who support the Russian war machine have nowhere to hide.”

He also urged «third parties to immediately stop providing material support for Russian aggression or to incur serious costs.» with Rishi Sunak and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced 25 sanctions. Credit: Paul Ellis/PA Wire

The UK has frozen over £18bn of assets and sanctioned over 1,600 individuals and entities since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.

The individuals on the list include senior government and military figures, as well as prominent oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich, Alisher Usmanov and Oleg Deripaska.

In recent months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has shifted its focus to businesses and individuals outside of Russia to close loopholes used to support Vladimir Putin's war machine.

Russia has already been forced to mobilize obsolete Soviet-era tanks and assemble low-grade microchip washing machines and freezers to repair its battle-ravaged fleet due to lack of access to Western components.

The 25 new measures are intended to further curb business and individuals used by Moscow to circumvent sanctions imposed by the UK, the G7 and the European Union.

Turkish microelectronics exporters have been joined by Iranian drone maker Paravar Pars and seven of its executives, the Gomel Radio Plant in Belarus, which prepares Russian equipment, and a drone maker from Dubai, UAE.

The sanctions prevent UK entities from providing services to listed companies and freeze their assets in the country.

The government has also sanctioned Anselm Oskar Schmucki, a Swiss citizen and head of the Moscow office of a Swiss crypto-currency company.

He was allegedly involved in “benefiting or supporting the Russian government by conducting business in a sector of strategic importance.”

He was sanctioned by the United States in May.

The government also sanctioned Ashot Mkrtychev, a Slovak citizen, for his involvement in the deal negotiations on arms between Russia and North Korea.

While Turkey is in NATO and supplies Ukraine with military equipment, its government refuses to join a series of Western sanctions against Russia and its allies.