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The Office of Foreign Asset Control's (OFAC) list of organizations sanctioned by the United States Department of Treasury now includes five crypto addresses linked to a neo-Nazi group, "Task Force Rusich," active in Russia's assault on Ukraine. In a notice published on Thursday, the US Treasury added 22 people and two entities to its lineup of Specially Designated Nationals, effectively prohibiting US citizens and businesses from doing business with them. This list included many people the government department asserted had helped the Russian government's goals in Ukraine. Two cryptocurrency addresses for Bitcoin (BTC), two for Ether (ETH), and one for Tether (USDT) were part of sanctions against Task Force Rusich, a neo-Nazi paramilitary organization.
Russia Responsible For Crimes
The government attempts to hold Russia responsible for its war crimes, atrocities, and aggression, to economically isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin, and to stop the nation from funding its military. According to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen,
"The United States will continue to take strong actions to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes, atrocities and aggression. As Ukraine presses forward with defending its freedom, today we're taking steps to further degrade Russia's ability to rebuild its military, hold perpetrators of violence accountable, and further financially isolate Putin."
The Rusich mercenaries, "Task Force Rusich," face charges from the Treasury Department for committing criminal acts against deceased and detained Ukrainian soldiers in 2015 during combat in the Donbas area while fighting with Russia's forces in Ukraine. According to the department, the neo-Nazi group was involved in activities that undermined the peace, safety, political stability, or territorial sovereignty of the United States, its allies, or its partners in favor of the Russian government.
Sanctions Enacted By US Government
The US government and several European leaders have enacted sanctions since Russia's military began its war on Ukraine in February to destroy the nation's economy and punish the affluent. The Treasury Department also said on Wednesday that it had imposed sanctions on 7 BTC addresses reportedly linked to 2 Iranian citizens who were involved in a ransomware gang.