US Imposes Sanctions on Chinese and Russian Entities Over Long-Range Drones

Washington: The United States has announced new sanctions targeting three entities and one individual involved in the development and production of the Garpiya series long-range attack drones, which have been used by Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. These sanctions mark a significant escalation in the U.S. response to the support provided to Russia's military efforts by entities based in the People's Republic of China (PRC). According to Kuwait News Agency, State Department spokesman Mathew Miller detailed that the Garpiya drones, developed in collaboration with Russian defense firms in the PRC, have played a critical role in attacking Ukrainian infrastructure and causing numerous civilian casualties. The sanctions aim to curtail the production of these UAVs and disrupt the technological support provided by the PRC to the Russian military. The sanctioned entities and individual were specifically involved with a Russian defense firm that has already been under U.S. sanctions. This marks the first instance of the U.S. imposing sanctions on PRC entities for directly developing and producing complete weapons systems in cooperation with Russian firms. Previously, the U.S. had sanctioned PRC entities that supplied critical components to Russia's military-industrial complex. "These sanctions are part of our continued effort to disrupt attempts by PRC-based and Russia-based entities and individuals to support Russia's acquisition of advanced weapons technology and components," Miller explained. "We will continue to impose costs on those who provide support to Russia's military-industrial base." The U.S. government's decision underscores its commitment to using economic sanctions as a tool to respond to and deter military aggression and human rights abuses conducted by Russia in Ukraine.