The Justice Department has taken significant actions against sanctioned Russian oligarchs and individuals accused of supporting the Kremlin and its military efforts, just days before the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Task Force KleptoCapture, comprising federal prosecutors, investigators, and analysts, has been targeting the financial networks associated with Russian oligarchs and Kremlin insiders.

In the past two years, the task force has initiated around 70 criminal cases against individuals and five cases against corporate entities, resulting in arrests of over a dozen individuals globally. Assets worth approximately $700 million have been targeted for seizure by the task force, aiming to eventually transfer these funds to Ukraine or utilize them for assistance purposes. A partial amount worth $6 million has already been sent to Ukraine.

The White House is also preparing to announce a new sanctions package against Russia this Friday to hold President Vladimir Putin accountable for Russia's actions in Ukraine and the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny. Task Force co-director David Lim underlined their commitment to supporting the Ukrainian people by targeting facilitators who enable Russian elites to access Western services and goods.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the Justice Department's determination to cut off illegal funds sustaining Putin's actions and to hold those complicit accountable. Two cases were disclosed out of Florida, with one criminal charge against a pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch and a civil forfeiture complaint against two Miami luxury condos owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Perevalov.

Further charges were brought against Andrey Kostin in New York for money laundering to support superyachts and concealing ownership of an Aspen apartment. Additional charges were made against Vladislav Osipov for hiding ownership of a luxury yacht named "Tango" in breach of US sanctions. Also, in Georgia, a guilty plea was obtained from dual national Feliks Medvedev for involvement in a scheme to launder over $150 million for Russian clients through bank accounts and shell companies.