U.S. rolls out more sanctions on Russian businesses and individuals, including mercenary group

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed new financial sanctions on the Russian private military company “Wagner” and its alleged head, Dmitry Utkin, as well as “Concord Catering,” which is owned by Evgeny Prigozhin, the billionaire restaurateur known in the Russian media as “Putin’s favorite chef.” The U.S. first hit Prigozhin with individual sanctions in December.

The Treasury Department is also imposing sanctions on “Bike Center” and the security agency “Volk” — organizations affiliated with the pro-Kremlin motorcycle club The Night Wolves — and Sergey Nazarov, the deputy head of Russia’s Economic Development Ministry, who is allegedly involved in financing and supplying Russian-backed insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

The United States has now sanctioned 407 companies and 160 individuals in relation to the conflict in Ukraine.