The United States has imposed sanctions on North Korean and Russian entities after the North's recent missile tests. 

The U.S. Treasury said on Wednesday that the sanctions were imposed on six North Koreans, one Russian and a Russian firm responsible for procuring goods for the North's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile-related programs. 

It added that the steps aimed to prevent the advancement of North Korea's programs and impede its attempts to proliferate weapons technologies.

Most of the sanctioned North Koreans reportedly work for the North's Academy of National Defense Science, formerly the Second Academy of Natural Sciences, which the Treasury says is heavily involved in the North's military defense programs. 

The sanctioned individuals are said to have procured parts and goods from Vladivostok in Russia and China.

The sanctions freeze any assets that the targets have in U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from doing business with them. They are the first specifically targeting North Korea's weapons programs imposed by the Biden administration.