The United States on Thursday included more than 120 companies from Russia and Kyrgyzstan on its blacklist to punish their contributions to the Russian military machine in Ukraine, AFP reported.

The sanctions, in particular, are aimed at limiting Russia’s access to embargoed equipment, including electronic components that can be reused by the Russian military-industrial complex, US State Department head Anthony Blinken said in a statement.

“These sanctions will deprive Russia of access to essential materials, limit its future ability to produce and export energy, limit its use of the international financial system, and punish those involved in sanctions evasion,” he said.

Among the dozens of targeted companies are Russian banks, energy, transport and technology companies, as well as defense equipment manufacturers.

They also include seven state-controlled Russian technological research institutes.

Also targeted are several Kyrgyz companies that the U.S. Treasury Department says allowed Russia to circumvent restrictions on technology exports under U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

One of them, RM Design and Development, supplied semiconductors and integrated circuits to Russian buyers, who in turn supplied the defense industry.

Kyrgyzstan denied on Thursday that it was helping Moscow avoid Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine, while acknowledging the “possible” involvement of private companies. (photo: Dreamstime.com)

US sanctions prohibit all transactions with these companies and limit their access to international financial systems.