After a week into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House continues to add names of Russian oligarchs to the list of sanctions imposed on Russia.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday more sanctions against the Russians will be implemented due to the invasion, highlighting how the administration selects individuals to be sanctioned.
“One of the big factors is, of course, the proximity to President Putin. We want him to feel the squeeze. We want people around him to feel the squeeze,” Psaki said.
The U.S. has gone after Russian politicians, wealthy individuals and their families in an attempt to deter Putin’s aggression against Ukraine.
With the latest announcements, at least 26 Russians, excluding family members, have been sanctioned by the U.S.
Here’s what you need to know about them:
Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin was sanctioned on Feb. 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Putin has falsely claimed he is invading Ukraine to save the people from a neo-Nazi government, leading to a war that has already killed thousands of people.
“As President, Putin is the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces currently undertaking an unjustified incursion into a sovereign European state. No one individual is more responsible for Russia’s war against Ukraine, destabilization of Russia’s neighbors, the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and years of Russian malign activities globally,” the Treasury Department stated.
Sergei Victorovich Lavrov
Lavrov is Russia’s minister of foreign affairs and a permanent member of Russia’s Security Council.
He was sanctioned on Feb. 25 as he has falsely said Ukraine is responsible for Russia’s invasion.
Lavrov has stayed fiercely loyal to Russia, claiming it has done nothing wrong.
Vyacheslav Volodin
Volodin – speaker of Russia’s parliament, State Duma – was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He has been the State Duma speaker since 2016. State Duma requested that Putin recognize separatist territories in Ukraine days before the invasion.
The recognition was one of the catalysts for Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Valentina Matviyenko
Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Council of Federation, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
She has been in that position since 2011 along with her role as a senator from Saint Petersburg.
Sergei Naryshkin
Naryshkin, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service and businessman, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He has been the director since 2016. Prior to that role he served as chair of the State Duma.
Sergei Ivanov
Ivanov, special presidential representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport, was sanctioned on Feb. 24.
He has served in that position since Aug. 12, 2016 and is reportedly one of Putin’s closest allies.
Ivanov was formerly the chief of staff of the Presidential Executive Office, deputy prime minister and defense minister of Russia.
He also sits as a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Nikolai Patrushev
Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He has served in that role for more than a decade, starting in 2008.
Vladimir Kolokoltsev
Kolokoltsev, the Interior minister, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He has been the Russian minister of Internal Affairs since 2012 and was previously the Moscow police commissioner.
Alexander Bortnikov
Bortnikov, director of the Federal Security Service, was sanctioned on Feb. 22.
He is part of Putin’s inner circle and has served as the director of the organization – which replaced the KGB after the fall of the Soviet Union – since 2008.
Bortnikov is also a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Igor Krasnov
Krasnov, the Prosecutor General of Russia, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He began that role on Jan. 22, 2020.
Igor Shchegolev
Shchegolev, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Central Federal District, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
Vladimir Ustinov
Ustinov, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Southern Federal District, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He was Putin’s first General Prosecutor of Russia from 2000 to 2006 and then served as the minister of Justice from 2006 to 2008.
Viktor Zolotov
Zolotov, the director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops and commander of the National Guard Troops, was sanctioned on Feb. 25.
He is also currently a member of the Security Council of Russia.
Nikolai Tokarev
Tokarev, who heads Russian pipeline company Transneft, was sanctioned on March 3.
Transneft is one of the most important state-owned companies in Russia as it transports 90 percent of oil extracted in Russia, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
Tokarev previously served with Putin in the Soviet Union’s Committee for State Security (KGB) and has been a long-time ally of the president.
He owns a business and real estate empire in Russia and Europe.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin
Prigozhin, the Russian financier of the Internet Research Agency (IRA), was sanctioned on March 3.
“Prigozhin directs the generation of content to denigrate the U.S. electoral process and funds Russian interference efforts while also attempting to evade sanctions by standing up front and shell companies both in and outside of Russia,” the Treasury Department stated.
The three companies Prigozhin controls were also sanctioned.
Boris Rotenberg
Rotenberg, co-owner of gas pipeline construction company SGM Group, was sanctioned on March 3.
He co-owns one of the main companies for gas pipelines and electrical power supplies in Russia.
Forbes said in 2022 he was estimated to be worth $1.2 billion.
Sergei Chemezov
Chemezov, CEO of Rostec Corporation and a close ally of Putin, was sanctioned on March 3.
He is a former KGB agent and general who worked with Putin during his time in the agency.
He’s estimated to be worth between $1 million and $5 million.
Igor Shuvalov
Shuvalov, former Russian deputy prime minister, was sanctioned on March 3.
He was the prime minister from 2012 to 2018 and is now serving as the chairman of State Development Corporation VEB.RF.
Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev and his son Andrey Patrushev
Patrushev and his son were sanctioned on Feb. 24.
Patrushev has been a long-time ally of Putin and is the secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council.
His son Andrey is in the Russian energy sector and holds a leadership role at Gazprom Neft.
Igor Ivanovich Sechin and his son Ivan Igorevich Sechin
Sechin and his son were sanctioned on Feb. 24.
Igor Sechin is Rosneft’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), chairman of the Management Board and deputy chairman of the board of directors of Rosneft.
He is also a close ally to Putin and former deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation.
His son, Ivan, is the deputy head of one of the department’s at Rosneft, one of the largest publicly-traded oil companies in the world.
Alexander Aleksandrovich Vedyakhin
Vedyakhin was sanctioned on Feb. 24.
He is the first deputy chairman of the executive board of Sberbank.
Andrey Sergeyevich Puchkov (Puchkov) and Yuriy Alekseyevich Soloviev (Soloviev)
Puchkov and Alakseyevich were sanctioned on Feb. 24.
They are high-ranking VTB Bank executives.
Aleksandrovich Bortnikov
Bortnikov, the son of Alexander Bortnikov, was sanctioned on Feb. 22.
He is the deputy president of Russian-state owned VTB Bank Public Joint Stock Company and a chairman of the VTB Bank management board.
Petr Mikhailovich Fradkov
Fradkov was sanctioned on Feb. 22.
He is the chairman and CEO of PSB where he “held working meetings with Putin and participated in roundtable discussions in international forums in which he forecasts the PSB’s long-term strategic plans for supporting the Russian defense industry,” according to the Treasury Department.
He also works as the general director of joint stock company Russian Export Center and is the son of the former prime minister of Russia and former director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko and his son Vladimir Sergeevich Kiriyenko
Sergei Kiriyenko and his son were sanctioned on Feb. 22.
Sergei is the first deputy chief of staff of the Presidential Office and reportedly Putin’s domestic policy curator.
His former roles include prime minister of the Russian Federation and general director of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation.
Vladimir is the CEO of VK Group, the parent company of Vkontakte, the top social media platform in Russia.
He previously served as vice president of Rostelecom.
Kirill Aleksandrovich Dmitriev (Dmitriev)
Dmitriev was sanctioned on Feb. 28.
He is the CEO of RDIF and JSC RDIF and a loyal ally to Putin. Dmitriev and his wife are also reportedly close to one of Putin’s daughters.
“He has leveraged his ties to universities and organizations in the United States to serve as a representative for the Russian president to American institutions, thereby providing access to key economic opportunities in the United States,” the Treasury Department noted.
