The US has imposed sanctions on five Russian companies for violating a nonproliferation act that bans the sale of arms to Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

The list of sanctioned entities also includes companies based out of Sudan, Lebanon,and China. The Russian companies featured on the list include Rosoboronexport (the state agency responsible for the defense technology trade), the factory “Katod” (located in Siberia, specializing in night-vision manufacturing), the “Construction Bureau,” a scientific development center for mechanical engineering, and the Fulcrum aircraft producer MiG.

A notice published on the US Government Publishing Office's website does not detail specifically what these companies have done to violate the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act.

After the sanctions come into effect, American state agencies will no longer be authorized to enter into commercial relations with the listed companies, and private entities in the US will not be allowed to trade with them.

The Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act authorizes the United States to impose sanctions against foreign individuals, private entities, and governments that engage in proliferation activities. This congressional act was initially known as the Iran Nonproliferation Act, which came into effect in 2000. Syria was added in 2005, and North Korea was added in 2006. The complete list of entities sanctioned under this act can be found here.

The US has also imposed a series of sanctions on Russia for Moscow's role in the Ukrainian crisis. Such sanctions typically include the freezing of a person’s or a company’s assets in the US, as well as a trade ban.