US authorities have identified a scheme through which Ilan Sor, the Moldovan oligarch in hiding, allegedly contributed to circumventing sanctions imposed on Russia. The identification of this scheme coincides with the imposition of new restrictive measures by the US Department of the Treasury, aimed at combating such illegal practices in the future, reports Europa Libera, cited by IPN.
According to the cited source, the new restrictive measures announced by the US Department of the Treasury (Ministry of Finance) target "a secret payment channel" for sensitive exports and a financial institution in Kyrgyzstan that supports Russia's military and industrial base.
Europa Libera reports that the oligarch Ilan Sor, who resides in Russia, was "involved in discussions regarding the role of the Kyrgyz bank, Keremet Bank, in the sanctions evasion scheme," according to the Treasury's announcement, without providing further details about the role of the fugitive Moldovan.
According to US authorities, at least since the summer of 2024, representatives of the Kyrgyz bank Keremet coordinated their actions with Russian officials and Promsvyazbank (PSB) in Russia, to implement a sanctions evasion scheme. The role of Keremet Bank was to "facilitate cross-border transfers" on behalf of Promsvyazbank, a Russian bank that has been on international sanctions lists since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and finances Russia's defense industry.
Ilan Sor has been on the US sanctions list since October 2022 for attempting to interfere in elections in the Republic of Moldova and other countries, in the interest of the Russian Federation.
