The United States has slapped new financial sanctions on a Russian bank and several Syrian government ministers for their roles in the Syrian war.
The announcement on December 23 by the Treasury Department was the latest in a series of final policy moves coming in the last weeks of President Barack Obama's administration.
The department said nine board members of a previously blacklisted Moscow bank called Tempbank had been added to the Specially Designated Nationals List for allegedly providing financial services to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Six Syrian ministers were also added to the list, including the finance and oil ministers, along with the head of the Syrian central bank.
Syrian airline Cham Wings was also included. It has been accused of transporting foreign militiamen to fight in the country's civil war.
Earlier this week, the Treasury Department levied new financial restrictions against more Russians for Moscow's actions in Ukraine, hitting well-connected insiders, including the man known as Russian President Vladimir Putin's chef.
That sparked an angry response from the Kremlin which called them destructive.
