UK Imposes New Sanctions on Russian MIC and Kremlin-Backed Mercenaries

The United Kingdom has approved a new package of sanctions against Russia, the largest in 18 months.

According to the UK government’s website, sanctions are imposed on the Russian military-industrial complex (MIC) and Russian-backed mercenary groups in Africa—56 individuals and legal entities in total.

In particular, organizations in China, Turkey, and Central Asia that produce and supply goods that Russia needs to wage war have been subject to restrictions.

The new sanctions also target three private mercenary groups with ties to the Kremlin, including the African Corps, and 11 individuals associated with Russian pro-government officials.

The sanctioned individuals have direct ties to the Kremlin, threaten peace and security in Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic, and are involved in widespread human rights violations across the continent, the press release said.

In addition, an agent of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate involved in the use of the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury is now under British sanctions.

In 2018, the GRU in Britain tried to poison Russian ex-intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, but they survived.

The new sanctions list includes, among other things:

• Zenith Finance LLC;
• private mercenary groups Bear Brigade and ESPANOLA;
• mercenaries of the African Corps;
• GRU officer Denis Sergeev;
• Turkish company By İnovasyon Teknoloji Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi;
• legal entity in Kazakhstan, STANEX GROUP;
• Uzstanex LLC from Uzbekistan;
• Chinese enterprises and legal entities ACE ERA CO., LIMITED, XIN QUAN ELECTRONICS (HONG KONG) CO., LIMITED, DONGGUAN SHENGYIN CNC EQUIPMENT CO. LTD., and others.

The assets of sanctioned entities and individuals have been frozen, cooperation with them prohibited, and entry into the UK banned for sanctioned individuals.

Currently, Russia, trying to expand its influence in Africa, is recruiting mercenaries to replace the Wagner PMC mercenaries on the continent.

For this purpose, the “African Corps ” of mercenaries was created to strengthen Russia’s military presence through a network of bases controlled by the Ministry of Defense.