U.S. announces sanctions over arms transfers between Russia, North Korea

The U.S. announced sanctions Thursday on five Russian individuals and entities for aiding weapons transfers between North Korea and Russia.

Among those sanctioned were Rafael Gazaryan, the owner of Russia-based Rafort Limited Liability Company, which was also sanctioned and used Trans Kapital Limited Liability to exchange weapons between North Korea and Russia, according to a statement by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Aleksey Budnev, the owner of Tekhuologiva, who facilitated military communications equipment for Russia that likely originated from North Korea, was also sanctioned, according to the statement.

"Today's action builds on several sanctions designations over the past year targeting the Russia-DPRK (North Korea) military relationship and highlights our opposition to continued arms transfers and the deepening of defense cooperation between Russia and the DPRK," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Miller said the transfer of military equipment and components between North Korea and Russia is in violation of a UN arms embargo, adding that Russia has increasingly relied upon North Korea for munitions in its war on Ukraine.

"The deepening DPRK-Russia relationship poses a wide-ranging threat to global security and the international non-proliferation regime," he said, adding that the U.S. condemns Russia's veto of a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of a committee responsible for monitoring and reporting on sanctions imposed on North Korea for its nuclear program.