The Russian entities were sanctioned for allegedly breaching U.S. non-proliferation restrictions relative to Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

The U.S. government imposed a new round of sanctions against eight Russian companies, which the United States alleges have circumvented the non-proliferation measures targeting Iran, North Korea, and Syria from as early as 2009. The announcement of the sanctions came on March 25, 2017. The commercial entities affected include Russia’s principal arms export corporation Rosoboronexport, an entity known as the 150th Aircraft Repair Plant, the Aviaexport foreign economic trade company, the Bazalt Scientific and Research Corporation, the weapons manufacturing company Scientific and Production Engineering Design Bureau, the Ulyanovsk Higher Civil Aviation School, the Urals Civil Aviation Training Center, as well as the Zhukovsky – Gagarin Air Force Academy.

The restrictive measures that the U.S. introduced do not specifically delineate the bases for imposing sanctions on the various Russia-based entities. Nonetheless, the United States’ move prohibits all departments and agencies of the U.S. government from purchasing goods or services from the designated companies for a two-year period, as well as from providing any military hardware to the entities sanctioned. The entities affected are not allowed to obtain licenses to buy from the United States certain goods that are subject to export control restrictions.

The restrictive measures may be lifted in the discretion of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.