U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S.-led sanctions had reduced the Russian military's ability to wage war to such an extent that it had difficulty locating critical parts for battlefield equipment.
On a visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, Minister Yanlen warned South African government officials that they should not violate US sanctions against Russia, and said, US online media Axios reported on the 27th local time.
In an interview with Axios, Yellen acknowledged that the sanctions did not significantly affect Russia's currency, but she said that "the goal of our sanctions is to undermine Russia's ability to wage war."
"The Russian military can't afford repair parts, so they're scouring intact planes for parts, and the two biggest tank factories aren't repairing their tanks," she explained.
During this 10-day trip to Africa, Yellen repeatedly attacked Russia, including blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine for driving up food and energy prices across Africa.
However, South Africa has recently been showing signs of collusion with Russia.
South African government officials, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov two days before Yellen's visit, and the Russian Navy and South African Defense Forces are scheduled to hold joint exercises next month.