The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it slapped sanctions on four companies connected to the Wagner Group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and said the illicit gold dealings fund the militia to sustain and expand its armed forces, including in Ukraine and some countries in Africa.
Central African Republic-based Midas Ressources SARLU and Diamville SAU, Dubai-based Industrial Resources General Trading and Russia-based Limited Liability Company DM were hit with sanctions in Tuesday's action. Washington also imposed sanctions on Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov, a Russian national the Treasury accused of being an executive in the Wagner Group and said worked closely with senior Malian officials on weapons deals, mining concerns and other Wagner activities in the country.