The new package of sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom has dealt a significant blow to Russia’s financial infrastructure by blocking key cryptocurrency channels used to circumvent restrictions.
This was reported by Vladislav Vlasyuk, the President’s Representative on Sanctions Policy, who highlighted the significant success in neutralizing the leaders of the shadow crypto market. According to him, the sanctions, introduced on May 26, 2026, are aimed at stopping the financial flows that Russia used to support foreign settlements via cryptocurrency.
Key Targets of the Sanctions
The sanctions target two main areas: crypto exchanges cooperating with the aggressor and the so-called “A7 network.” According to Vlasyuk, this network was created with the Kremlin’s support and serves to circumvent Western restrictions, finance military procurement, and launder oil money. Last year, over $90 billion passed through this network—half of Russia’s annual military spending.
Entities subject to sanctions
- RAPIRA GROUP LLC is a crypto exchange registered in Georgia and focused on the Russian market. It is linked to sanctioned entities, such as the A7 ecosystem, and conducts transactions with Garantex (Grinex) and Bitpapa worth tens of millions of dollars. The exchange operates in rubles and is linked to Russian banks subject to U.S. sanctions, such as Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, and Promsvyazbank. Rapira allows cryptocurrency exchanges without mandatory verification, actively utilizing P2P and cash transactions.
