UK Sanctions Russian Intelligence Agency Following Novichok Inquiry
British government announced significant new sanctions against Russia, specifically targeting its military intelligence agency, the GRU. This decision comes in the wake of a UK public inquiry into the 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack. The public inquiry determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely ordered the 2018 attack on double agent Sergei Skripal. While the […]
US Treasury Pauses Specific Sanctions on Lukoil Operations
The U.S. Treasury Department has authorized Lukoil-branded gas stations located outside of Russia to continue their daily operations, effectively suspending specific sanctions previously placed on the Russian energy giant. According to the Treasury, this decision is designed to “mitigate harm” to local consumers and suppliers who rely on these stations for ordinary transactions. While the […]
US Treasury Targets Tren de Aragua Network with New Sanctions
The United States Department of the Treasury has announced a new wave of sanctions aimed at dismantling the money laundering operations of the Venezuela-based gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA). According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the sanctions specifically target key figures in the entertainment industry who have provided material support to the […]
UK Delays Imposing Sanctions on Lukoil International Until February
The UK government has officially delayed the enforcement of sanctions against Lukoil International GmbH, the international unit of the Russian energy giant Lukoil PJSC. The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) announced that sanctions against Lukoil International and its subsidiaries will now come into effect on February 26. They were originally scheduled to begin […]
Russia’s ‘shadow vessels’ using false flags to skirt sanctions, report says
A new report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that Russia is increasingly using “shadow vessels” flying false flags to bypass international sanctions. In the first nine months of 2025, these tactics allowed the transport of millions of tonnes of oil undetected. Between January and September 2025, 113 Russian […]
Serbia’s only oil refinery faces shutdown due to US sanctions
Serbia’s only oil refinery, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), faces an imminent shutdown due to US sanctions targeting its majority Russian ownership. This situation poses a significant threat to the country’s energy security. The sanctions, enforced by the US starting October 9, 2025, target Russia’s energy sector. NIS is 51% owned by Gazprom and Gazprom Neft, […]
South Korea’s finance watchdog to sanction more ‘crypto’ exchanges
The Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is preparing to impose significant sanctions on four major domestic cryptocurrency exchanges -Korbit, Gopax, Bithumb, and Coinone. The sanctions are a result of violations regarding anti-money laundering (AML) and “know your customer” (KYC) obligations. The FIU has conducted on-site inspections over the past 18 months and will process cases […]
EU sanctions against A7A5 and Payeer come into effect
The European Union is implementing strict sanctions against the Russian ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5 and the payment service provider Payeer. These measures are a response to their involvement in Russia’s destabilization of Ukraine. The EU has explicitly prohibited all direct and indirect transactions involving A7A5. This is a stricter stance than previous US or UK actions. […]
US Fund Carlyle Eyes Assets of Sanctioned Russian Firm Lukoil
The American private equity giant Carlyle Group is evaluating the purchase of international assets belonging to the sanctioned Russian oil company Lukoil. Because Lukoil is under US sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, Carlyle plans to apply for a special license from the US government (specifically OFAC) to conduct due diligence and potentially finalize […]
US Lifts Sanctions on Caspian Pipeline Consortium for Kazakh Oil
The United States has lifted sanctions on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), the primary conduit used by Kazakhstan to export its oil to international markets. According to reports in the Kazakh media citing the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Washington has unblocked transactions related to the CPC as well as Kazakhstan’s largest oil […]