New Delhi: India became the target of US sanctions along with five other countries on Wednesday with the Biden administration imposing sanctions on four Indian firms for the Asian country's alleged support to Russia's Ukraine war, signalling America's hard stance on countries supposed to be close to Kremlin.
The sanction on four Indian firms is expected to come as a pinch of salt to New Delhi which is yet to react to the development. While this is not the first time that India has been imposed with US sanctions.
The US State Department statement said that designations aim to disrupt sanctions evasion and target entities in multiple third countries, including India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
“The United States is today sanctioning nearly 400 entities and individuals for enabling Russia’s prosecution of its illegal war. In this action, the Department of State is imposing sanctions on more than 120 individuals and entities. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating more than 270 individuals and entities. The Department of Commerce is also adding 40 entities to its Entity List,” a US State Department statement said.
In its statement, the US named Ascend Aviation India Private Limited, which it said, “sent over 700 shipments to Russia-based companies” between March 2023 and March 2024. According to the US, these shipments included over $200,000 worth of CHPL items, such as US-origin aircraft components.
The US also named Mask Trans “an India-based company involved in the supply of over $300,000 worth of CHPL items such as aviation components to Russia-based and U.S.-designated S 7 ENGINEERING LLC from June 2023 to at least April 2024”.
"TSMD Global private limited is an India-based company that shipped at least $430,000 worth of CHPL items to Russia-based companies, including Electron Komponent and the U.S.-designated companies: Limited Liability company VMK, Alfa limited liability company and joint stock company Avtovaz…these shipments, which occurred between July 2023 and March 2024, included U.S.- and EU origin BIS CHPL Tier 1 and 2 items such as electronic integrated circuits, central processing units, and other fixed capacitors," the state department added.
According to US, Futrevo, an India-based company, was involved in the supply of over $1.4 million worth of CHPL items such as electronic components to Russia-based and U.S.-designated Limited Liability Company SMT-ILOGIC, the manufacturer of Orlan drones with Russia-based and U.S.-designated Special Technology Center. The shipments were from January 2023 to at least February 2024, it said.
