U.S. imposes sanctions targeting North Korea's missile program

March 25 (UPI) -- The Biden administration has imposed sanctions against two Russian companies, a North Korean entity and two people, one from each nation, over aiding Pyongyang's missile program.

The sanctions were announced in a statement by the U.S. State Department on Thursday after North Korea test fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile early that monring.

The secretive state has launched a spattering of weapons tests, including 11 missile launches, since the beginning of the year, but Thursday's launch is the most provocative as it ends Pyongyang's self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear weapons tests that has been in place since 2017.

The State Department identified those blacklisted as Russian companies Ardis Group of Companies LLC and PFK Profpodshipnik with the Russian individual named as Igor Aleksandrovich Michurin.

Second Academy of Natural Science Foreign Affairs Bureau was the North Korean entity hit with sanctions and the individual was named as Ri Sung Chol.

"These measures are part of our ongoing efforts to impede the DRPK's ability to advance its missile program and they highlight the negative role Russia plays on the world stage as a proliferator to programs of concern," Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, said in a statement, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The sanctions were announced after Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, warned the United States would take "necessary measures" to ensure its security and that of its allies South Korea and Japan.

"The door is not closed on diplomacy," she said in a statement, "but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions."

The department also sanctioned Chinese company Zhengzhou Nanbei Instrument Equipment Co. Ltd. for supplying Syria with equipment controlled by the Australia Group, a chemical and biological weapons nonproliferation regime.

"These determinations underscore the continuing need for all countries to remain vigilant to efforts by North Korea and Syria to advance their proliferation programs of concern," Price said. "We will continue to impede these programs and use our sanctions authorities to spotlight the foreign suppliers, such as these entities in [China] and Russia the provide sensitive materials and technology to the DPRK and Syria."

Thomas Maresca contributed to this report.