The United States named ten individuals and twelve entities on Monday, two of which, as reported, are part of a global weapons network and are registered in Cyprus, in new sanctions announced against Belarus.
This action, according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, “maintains U.S. economic pressure on the Lukashenko regime for its ongoing support of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the economic benefit it derives from this activity.”
According to the U.S. Ambassador to Nicosia, Julie Fisher, the U.S. and Cyprus “continue our joint efforts to counter authoritarianism and Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
As she wrote in a post on “X” in “Building on previous sanctions for the fraudulent August 2020 election in Belarus & Lukashenka’s support of Russia’s illegal invasion, designated today 10 individuals & 12 entities, 2 of which are part of a global arms network & are registered in Cyprus”.
Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Black Shield network “utilises intermediaries and companies such as Centuronic Ltd (Centuronic) and S. Group Airlines Ltd, both located in Cyprus, and Rayya Danişmanlik Hizmetleri Limited Şirketi (Rayya Danismanlik), located in Turkey, to conduct their activities.”
