The U.K. announced a fresh wave of sanctions on Tuesday targeting individuals and entities involved in manufacturing drones used in Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has imposed 35 new designations aimed at individuals and various entities that it alleged bolstered Russia’s drone production capabilities and facilitated the exploitation of migrants, it said in a press statement.
“These sanctions expose and disrupt the operations of those trafficking migrants as cannon fodder and feeding [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s drone factories with illicit components to target innocent civilians and vital infrastructure,” said U.K. Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty in the statement.
Moscow’s sustained attacks against Ukraine are increasingly dependent on "third-country suppliers providing key components and technical support," the FCDO said.
According to FCDO, its new sanctions list includes individuals and entities based in third countries, including Thailand and China, "responsible for supplying drone components and other critical military goods to Russia."
11 entities and individuals, five of whom are based in Russia, allegedly linked to the supply of drones, components, or dual-use goods for the Russian defense sector.
The expanded measures also target human trafficking networks described as "funnelling exploited migrants into Russia’s war machine." Among those blacklisted is Russia’s Alabuga Start program, which the FCDO stated recruits foreign migrants to produce drones at a U.K.-sanctioned facility.
The European Union has taken similar steps to crack down on the flow of drone parts to Russia. Under a package adopted by the EU Council on April 23, the bloc’s sanctions targeted entities in third countries, including China, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates, for providing high-tech items used to manufacture fighter drones for the war in Ukraine.
These measures follow a February investigation led by the Belgian newspaper De Tijd along with OCCRP, the Kyiv Independent, Paper Trail Media, the Irish Times, Infolibre, and The Times detailing how hundreds of components produced by European companies are being used in Russian attack drones despite tightening international restrictions.
After the investigation, Ireland’s Prime Minister announced that his government would pursue the issue of Irish-manufactured components ending up in Russian drones.
