The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions against 38 individuals and entities supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine. Among the targeted entities are payment platforms and cryptocurrency exchanges, two of which are allegedly linked to the A7 network, led by the fugitive oligarch Ilan Sor, which assists Moscow in evading international sanctions, reports IPN.
This is about three cryptocurrency scholarships and two payment platforms. Three of them have ties to Kyrgyzstan, and two have processed transactions for A7, a network that claims to have transacted over 90 billion dollars last year, equivalent to about half of Russia’s annual military spending.
The financial restrictions imposed by the United Kingdom also include two Russian oil companies, and the London executive claims that its sanctions now cover over 90% of Russia’s oil production capacity. Also included on the list are another 12 oil tankers that are part of Moscow’s shadow fleet, which brings the total number of vessels sanctioned by Great Britain to over 600.
Another 17 individuals and entities included in the new list, according to London, supply the Russian military industry with essential goods for war, such as electronic components and materials for the production of ballistic missiles and drones.
The USA has recently designated the A7 network as a significant transnational criminal organization, accusing it of facilitating the evasion of sanctions by Russia and Iran. The A7 company, along with related firms A71 and A7-AGENT, are already on the international sanctions list of the USA, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Previously, IPN reported on how these entities help Russia circumvent the restrictive measures imposed by the West by camouflaging the real money flows to allow Moscow’s financial transfers.
