The US Government fined Microsoft $3.3 million (regarding €3 million) for violating US control and sanctions laws related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014.
The US Treasury Department announced this Thursday that the technological giant voluntarily revealed the alleged violations, collaborated in the investigation and took measures to prevent these violations from being repeated, whose number the Government raises to 1,339.
At stake are the relations of the Russian subsidiary of Microsoft with companies that collaborated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reported the Efe agency.
According to the Government, on seven occasions, between December 2016 and December 2017, employees of Microsoft Russia caused another subsidiary of the multinational to participate in or sell software license agreements that, in turn, allowed the transfer or access to ‘software’ from companies on the US Department of Commerce Sanctioned Entity List.
One of these entities is Glavgosekspertiza Rossii, which participated in the construction of the Kerch bridge, in 2014, to connect Russia to Crimea, following this Ukrainian peninsula was invaded by Russian troops.
The other company is the United Shipbuilding Corporation, responsible for the development and manufacture of Russian Army warships.
“US companies must be held accountable for the activities of their foreign affiliates,” warned Under Secretary for Export Control Matthew Axelrod, quoted in the statement.
