US to impose sanctions on more Russian oligarchs

The United States on Thursday planned to impose economic sanctions on a wide array of Russian oligarchs and their families, two sources familiar with the matter said, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Washington has already hit a variety of oligarchs with asset-blocking sanctions. The source, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said some significant names would be included in Thursday's actions.

A second person familiar with the matter confirmed that there will be a number of oligarchs sanctioned on Thursday. The source also said Russian officials close to Putin would likely be among those targeted.

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Washington has so far imposed several rounds of sanctions, including against Putin and the central bank, after Russia's forces invaded Ukraine in the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two. Moscow calls the assault a "special operation."

The measures have included sanctions against what the US Treasury Department said were Russian "elites," including some with ties to Sberbank, VTB, Rosneft and the Federal Security Service (FSB).

The sources said the names cited by the United States would overlap with those already designated by the European Union but would go beyond them by naming family members and business associates.

The United States is also expected to announce visa bans on some of those targeted, one of the sources said. The EU on Monday imposed sanctions on 26 prominent people over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including oligarchs and business people active in the oil, banking and finance sectors.

Several people included on the EU's list on Monday have not yet been designated by the United States, including Nikolay Tokarev, the chief executive of energy giant Transneft, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russia's deputy prime minister, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Washington has repeatedly warned that it is prepared to take further measures to hold Moscow to account over its invasion of Ukraine.

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, US President Joe Biden said the United States would work to seize the yachts, luxury apartments and private jets of wealthy Russians with ties to Putin.

"We are coming for your ill-begotten gains," Biden said.

The United States and its allies last week announced they would launch a task force to identify and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs.

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