UK Weekly Sanctions Update - Week of October 7, 2024

In this weekly update, we summarise the most notable updates in the UK sanctions world. If you have any questions in respect of any of the developments set out below, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our London Global and Government Trade team listed above.

1. Russia Sanctions

• UK amends two entries on the UK sanctions list under the Russia regime: On October 11, 2024, the UK Government amended the entries of Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, founder of Eurochem, one of world's largest coal and fertiliser companies, and Grigory Vikotorovitsj Berezkin, the owner and chairman of ESN Group, on the UK sanctions list.  These individuals remain subject to an asset freeze and trust services sanctions. (Notice_Russia_111024.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk))

2. Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories Sanctions

• OFSI extends Humanitarian Activity General Licence relating to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: On October 9, 2024, OFSI extended General Licence INT/2023/3749168, which authorises certain persons to engage in activities necessary to provide humanitarian assistance in relation to the conflict in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Lebanon.  Among other things, the General Licence was amended to (i) extended the scope to incorporate Lebanon; (ii) extend the length of the General Licence by six months to 14 November 2025; and (iii) amend the deadline for reporting under the General Licence to take place on 13 November 2024 and 14 December 2025 (rather than June 2025) respectively. (Israel-OPT-Lebanon_Humanitarian_GL.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)).

3. Chemical Weapons Sanctions

• UK adds four entries to the UK sanctions list under the chemical weapons regime: On October 8, 2024, Igor Anatolyevich Kirillov, 33rd Central Scientific Research and Testing Institute, Radiological Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, and Russian Ministry of Defence 27th Scientific Centre were added to the UK sanctions list under the Chemical Weapons regime.  According to the UK Government, these parties are responsible for helping deploy certain chemical weapons, including riot control agents and toxic choking agent chloropicrin, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. (UK sanctions Russian troops deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk); Notice_Chemical_Weapons_081024.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)).

4. Cyber Sanctions

• UK amends four entries on the UK sanctions list under the Cyber regime: On October 8, 2024, the UK Government amended the entries of Eduard Vitalevich Benderskiy, Aleksey Evgenyevich Shchetinin,
  Dmitriy Alekseyevich Slobodskoy and Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets on the UK sanctions list under the Cyber regime.  These individuals remain subject to an asset freeze. (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6704ffd7c71e42688b65f2aa/Notice_Cyber_081024__1_.pdf)

5. Other Sanctions

• Launch of the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation:  On October 10, 2024, the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) within the Department for Business and Trade became operational.   Complementing HMRC’s trade sanctions enforcement role at the UK border, OTSI has new civil enforcement powers in relation to services as well as movement of goods across third country borders, where there is a UK nexus. Financial services firms, money services businesses and legal service providers are now required to report suspected breaches of relevant trade sanctions to OTSI. (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-unit-to-boost-effectiveness-of-uk-sanctions-against-russia; https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2024/09/uk-government-launches-office-of-trade-sanctions-implementation-to-enforce-uk-trade-sanctions).