The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions against five Russian individuals and entities who were allegedly involved in arms transfers between North Korea and Russia. 

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control(OFAC) on Thursday introduced sanctions on two Russian individuals and three Russia-based entities for facilitating weapons transfers between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The targeted designees’ assets in the United States will be frozen and their transactions with the United States will be prohibited.

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said that Thursday’s action reflects the U.S.’ commitment to disrupting North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia. He added the U.S. continues to take action to hold accountable those who seek to facilitate the shipment of weapons and other materiel to enable Russia’s war.

In a related statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday that Russia has already used more than 40 North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine, which Moscow imported in direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea.