The US Treasury Department announced[1] sanctions against four Ukrainians accused of helping further Russian attempts to destabilize Ukraine and build support for an eventual invasion.
The US claimed Russia "has directed its intelligence services to recruit current and former Ukrainian government officials to prepare to take over the government of Ukraine and to control Ukraine's critical infrastructure with an occupying Russian force."
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued sanctions against Taras Kozak, Oleh Voloshyn, Volodymyr Oliynyk and Vladimir Sivkovich -- four current and former Ukrainian officials the US said were involved in efforts to gather information and spread disinformation.
Kozak and Voloshyn are both current members of the Ukrainian Parliament and Oliynyk is a former government official who fled to Russia. Sivkovich is the former Deputy Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.
The sanctions mean any US property owned by the four is blocked and must be reported to OFAC. The four are also blocked from doing business in the US. The US worked with Ukrainian government officials on the sanctions.
"The United States is taking action to expose and counter Russia's dangerous and threatening campaign of influence and disinformation in Ukraine," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. "We are committed to taking steps to hold Russia accountable for their destabilizing actions."
Kozak, Voloshyn, Oliynyk and Sivkovich are accused of working with Russia's Federal Security Service on efforts to influence public opinion and create a climate in Ukraine that would make it easier for a new Russian-controlled government in Ukraine to operate and manage Ukraine's critical infrastructure with an occupying Russian force.
Both Kozak and Voloshyn are part of a political party led by Victor Medvedchuk, who has previously been sanctioned by the US for alleged efforts to