By Robert Zargarian
YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — The United States has added a Russian-owned firm registered in Armenia to its list of entities accused of helping Russia evade US sanctions imposed since the invasion of Ukraine.
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blacklisted on April 12 more than 100 people and entities it said have violated US export controls and helped Russia’s war effort. The sanctions bar US companies and individuals from any dealings with them and also freeze any assets the latter may hold in US jurisdiction.
The newly blacklisted entities include, TAKO LLC, a little-known company registered in Armenia in May last year about three months after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
According to the Armenian state registry, TAKO is fully owned by a Russian national, Vadim Verkhovtsev, and specializes in wholesale trade in electronic and telecommunications equipment and parts. No other details of its operations are known.
TAKO’s registration address matches that of an office building in Yerevan. The building administration told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Friday that the company rented an office there until last fall.
