The US government has fined Microsoft 3.3 million dollars for violating US monitoring and sanctions laws related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014.

The US Treasury Department announced on Thursday that the tech giant voluntarily disclosed the alleged violations, cooperated in the investigation and took measures to prevent them from happening again, a figure the government has raised to 1,339.

At issue are the relations of Microsoft's Russian subsidiary with companies that collaborated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reports Efe.

According to the government, on seven occasions between December 2016 and December 2017, Microsoft Russia employees caused another subsidiary of the multinational to participate in or sell software license agreements that, in turn, allowed the transfer of or access to software from companies on the list of entities sanctioned by the US Department of Commerce.

One of these entities is Glavgosekspertiza Rossii, which took part in the construction of the Kerch Bridge in 2014 to connect Russia to Crimea after the Ukrainian peninsula was invaded by Russian troops.

The other company is the United Shipbuilding Corporation, responsible for the development and manufacture of the Russian Army's warships.

"American companies must be held accountable for the activities of their foreign subsidiaries," warned Under Secretary for Export Controls Matthew Axelrod, quoted in the statement. (Notícias ao Minuto)