Russia

1977-06-06

Raspletina, Dom 17, Korpus 2, Kv. 7, Moscow, 123060, Russia

773402066160, Tax ID No.; 319774600345330, Registration ID; 4503851519, National ID No.; 727760853, Passport

lya Andreevich Gambashidze (Gambashidze), the founder of the Moscow-based company Social Design Agency (SDA), together with Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tupikin (Tupikin), the CEO and current owner of Russia-based Company Group Structura LLC (Structura), were involved in a persistent foreign malign influence campaign at the direction of the Russian Presidential Administration. SDA and Structura have been identified as key actors of the campaign, responsible for providing GoR with a variety of services, including the creation of websites designed to impersonate government organizations and legitimate media outlets in Europe. Leading into Fall 2022, Tupikin and Gambashidze implemented a campaign that impersonated news websites, staged videos, and fake social media accounts. Specifically, Tupikin and Gambashidze, via SDA and Structura, have implemented, on behalf of GoR, a sprawling network of over 60 websites that impersonated legitimate news organizations, and which used misleading social media accounts to amplify the content of the spoofed websites. The fake websites appeared to have been built to carefully mimic the appearance of legitimate news websites. The fake websites included embedded images and working links to legitimate sites and even used the impersonated site’s cookie acceptance page. Today, OFAC designated SDA and Structura pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, GoR. OFAC designated Gambashidze and Tupikin pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of SDA and Structura, respectively, persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2195

2024-03-20

US

Executive Order 14024 of April 15, 2021 Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation

OFAC country specific

Russia

Blocking Property, Suspending Entry, Trade sanctions

• https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/1127 • https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/1029

In response to the Russian Federation’s continued use of its military-industrial base to support its aggression against Ukraine, the President has issued an Executive Order (E.O.) amending E.O. 14024 that provides the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) with new authorities to target foreign financial institutions for engaging in certain transactions. Foreign financial institutions that conduct or facilitate significant transactions or provide any service involving Russia’s military-industrial base run the risk of being sanctioned by OFAC. The United States and partners have put in place a sanctions and export controls regime that has severely restricted Russia’s ability to import many of the items that directly support its brutal and unjustified war against Ukraine. As a result, Russia is increasingly using third countries to evade sanctions and continue its procurement of certain critical items. The United States and partners have published multiple advisories, including detailed red flags, to warn the private sector about Russian sanctions evasion in support of its war machine and to support compliance efforts. OFAC’s new targeting authorities, which are aimed at foreign financial institutions that provide services to, or engage in significant transactions relating to, Russia’s military-industrial base, come as a natural evolution of OFAC’s work to counter evasion and hold accountable those perpetuating Russia’s war against Ukraine, including financial facilitators. OFAC is issuing this advisory to provide guidance to foreign financial institutions on the amendments to E.O. 14024, including practical guidance on how to identify sanctions risks and implement corresponding controls. For additional guidance on this E.O., please see FAQs 1146–1157.

SDN / NS-MBS / CAPTA