US introduces sanctions against Russian companies with FSB links
The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions against three Russian citizens and five Russian enterprises suspected of involvement in "malicious cyber-enabled activities."
"One of the designated entities is controlled by and has provided material and technological support to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), while two others have provided the FSB with material and technological support," a US Treasury statement, released on June 11, stated.
The press release noted examples of Russia's destabilizing actions, including the NotPetya virus attacks and attempts to break into the US energy grid.
"Today’s action also targets the Russian government’s underwater capabilities. Russia has been active in tracking undersea communication cables, which carry the bulk of the world’s telecommunications data." the US Department of Treasury continued.
The new sanctions list includes the St. Petersburg-based company DiveTechnoService, which manufactures and supplies diving and underwater equipment, as well as three people associated with the organization: the owner of Divetechnoservice, Vladimir Kaganskiy; the company's general director, Aleksandr Tribun; and its manager, Oleg Chirikov.
According to the US Treasury Department, Divetechnoservice signed a $11.5 million contract in 2011 with the Russian FSB to develop a submersible craft.
Kvant Scientific Research Institute was also included in the list of sanctions, for being owned or controlled by the FSB, as it has extensive ties to the security service and was the prime contractor on an FSB project as of April 2017.
On April 6, the US Treasury Department added several major Russian businessmen to the sanctions list, including Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, as well as enterprises that they own. This led to a fall in the ruble exchange rate and Moscow Stock Exchange prices, as well as to a sharp drop in shares of the Deripaska-owned enterprise Rusal on world exchanges.