The United States has slapped sanctions on more than 400 Russian politicians, oligarchs, and companies over Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. Treasury said in a statement on March 24 that the expanded list of those sanctioned over the war includes dozens of Russian defense companies, 328 members of the Russian State Duma, and the head of Russia's largest financial institution, Sberbank.
"Today, in its latest action to impose severe costs on the Russian Federation for its illegal, unwarranted, and baseless war against Ukraine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating key enablers of the invasion," the statement said.
"This action aligns with similar actions taken by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and reflects continued unity to hold [Russian President Vladimir] Putin accountable for his war of choice," it added.
The list includes Sberbank CEO German Gref, who has also been a close confidante of Putin since the 1990s.
The statement said that inclusion on the list freezes "all property and interests in property" in the United States "or in the possession or control of U.S. persons."
U.S. Broadens Russian Sanctions List
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) speaks with Sberbank CEO German Gref during a meeting in Moscow in September 2019.