The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned a network of people and companies in China involved in procuring items for North Korea’s weapons programs, which the country is using to provide missiles to Russia’s military. OFAC said North Korea is relying on this Chinese network to buy foreign-sourced materials and parts that it can’t produce domestically. The companies “consolidate and repackage items for onward shipment” to North Korea, the agency said, and hide the “true end-user” from the manufacturers and distributors of those items.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned three people for being “key financiers and trusted operatives” of the Islamic State group’s activities in Africa. The designations target South Africa- and Zambia-based Abubakar Swalleh, South Africa-based Zayd Gangat and Democratic Republic of the Congo-based Hamidah Nabagala. OFAC said they help the group move funds and carry out terrorist attacks in the region.

The European Commission this week released a set of frequently asked questions on the sanctions screening obligations of payment service providers under the EU’s instant payment regulation, a new set of rules governing instant payment services in euros adopted earlier this year. The FAQs touch on those obligations, beginning on page 62, outlining how payment service providers should be screening against sanctions lists, what they must do if they detect a payment that may violate sanctions, and more.

The U.S. designated two Mexican members of Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion this week, along with their companies, for helping to move fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the U.S. The designations target Juan Carlos Banuelos Ramirez, a CJNG “cell leader” who moves drugs for the group, launders money, procures precursor chemicals and oversees Mexican production labs; and Gerardo Rivera Ibarra, another cartel leader who works to send fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the U.S. OFAC sanctioned Inmobiliaria Universal Deja Vu S.A. de C.V. for being owned by Banuelos, and Fornely Lab S.A. de C.V. for being owned by Rivera.

The Council of the European Union on July 22 sanctioned four people and two entities for "serious human rights abuses," including the systematic use of sexual and gender-based violence in Syria, Ukraine, North Korea and Haiti.

The Council of the European Union on July 22 renewed its sanctions regime on Russia for another six months, extending the restrictions until Jan. 31. The regime includes a range of individual, sectoral, trade, financial and servicing restrictions.

A new research briefing by the U.K. Parliament's House of Commons examines the current state of sanctions against Russia, allied efforts to tackle sanctions evasion and the top countries continuing to support Russia’s military despite the restrictions: China, Iran, North Korea and Belarus. The 24-page report notes that the “focus” of the Group of 7 countries, along with the EU, has recently shifted to “preventing sanctions evasion and closing any remaining loopholes in the existing regime,” although Russia continues to find workarounds. The report said “questions remain” over “the effectiveness of those sanctions as Russia has sought alternative markets and established new trade routes and methods for circumvention.”

After U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan last week said the Biden administration is preparing new sanctions against Chinese entities, including possibly financial institutions, for supporting Russia's military, China said it “firmly rejects all kinds of illicit unilateral sanctions” that the U.S. may be considering.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week sanctioned two members of the Russian “hacktivist group” Cyber Army of Russia Reborn, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, for cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure. OFAC said Pankratova is the group's leader and Degtyarenko is its primary hacker, and they have helped the group conduct cyberattacks against Ukraine and governments and companies supporting Ukraine.

The EU this month updated its set of best practices to help member states better implement sanctions. The 42-page guidance, issued by the Council of the European Union, outlines how new designations should be applied, how governments should approach delisting, the roles of companies and other “economic operators,” areas and procedures for coordinating sanctions with other agencies and countries, and more.