On May 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions targeting two individuals and three entities in Russia involved in facilitating weapons trade between Russia and North Korea, as reported by European Truth.
This sanctions scheme is linked to Slovakian arms dealer Ashot Mkrtichev, who had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. in March 2023. Despite these sanctions, Mkrtichev and his associates continued their operations through intermediaries. One such intermediary, Russian national Rafael Gazaryan, conducted negotiations on Mkrtichev’s behalf to acquire various types of weapons and ammunition from North Korea for Russia and led one of his companies, which has also been sanctioned by the U.S.
Another individual involved, identified only as Budnev by the U.S. Treasury, facilitated the shipment of military communication equipment to Russia, equipment that likely originated from North Korea and was intended to support Russian military operations.
The companies connected to Gazaryan include "Trans Capital" and "Rafort," while Budnev is the sole owner of "Technology," which was involved in the military supply agreements between Moscow and Pyongyang. All these entities have now been sanctioned by the U.S.
The recent year has seen an intensification of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, with Moscow receiving North Korean ballistic missiles and ammunition in exchange for promises of technology transfers to support Pyongyang’s satellite and missile programs.
The growing military partnership between Russia and North Korea raises concerns in the U.S. about the potential for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to take risks regarding threats to South Korea, weapons exports, and ignoring calls for nuclear negotiations.
