US, UK jointly expand sanctions against Russian metals
The new action will block Russian metal producers from profits from the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).
Sanctions
European Council adopts law on criminal offences, penalties for EU sanction violation
The European Council approved the law on the prosecution of violation or circumvention of EU sanctions, mainly concerning the sanctions against Russia, the parliament's press service reported on April 12.
Russian media: Chinese banks block payments from Russia for electronic parts
The first issues with purchases for electronics started back in December 2023, mainly related to finished products, Kommersant said, citing representatives of the Russian business.
EU Court removes Russian oligarchs Fridman, Aven from sanctions list
The EU Court of Justice ruled on April 10 to lift sanctions against Russian business tycoons Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, imposed in response to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Opinion: Answering your burning questions on Russia's frozen assets
There’s so much news and noise on the issue of using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, so I thought it useful to put out a quick Q&A on the issue. How much money are we talking about? There are around $320 billion in Russian central bank assets currently
Bloomberg: Western sanctions curb Turkey's trade with Russia
Turkish machinery exporters, who benefited from the surge in sales to Russia last year, may see their revenues drop by $1 billion in 2024 due to "ambiguous" sanctions, Bloomberg said, citing Kutlu Karavelioglu, the chairperson of the Machinery Exporters' Association.
Zelensky signs sanctions order against several Ukrainian businessmen, dozens of companies
A total of 86 companies were on the sanctions list, most of which were Ukrainian. Some Russian and Chinese companies were listed as well.
Japan to ban export of over 160 goods to Russia
The Japanese government announced on April 5 its decision to ban exports of 164 goods to Russia, namely automobile engine oil and optical equipment, the Jiji Press news agency reported.
US announces new sanctions against shipping company linked to Iranian military
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that the move was in part guided by the goal of "disrupting Iran's ability to...support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."
Reuters: Sanctions may force Russian company to scale back Arctic LNG project
Russian gas producer Novatek is considering scaling back a major liquefied natural gas project due to the impact of Western sanctions, Reuters reported on April 4, citing sources in the industry.
German customs detains ship loaded with sanctioned Russian uranium, lumber
The cargo ship, named Atlantic Navigator II, is registered in the Marshall Islands, but has a largely Russian crew. It was forced to stop in Rostock due to propeller damage, where it encountered trouble with German customs agents due to its cargo of sanctioned goods.
South Korea sanctions Russian organizations, individuals over cooperation with Pyongyang
South Korea has imposed new sanctions against two Russian organizations, two individuals, and two ships over cooperation with North Korea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry reported on April 2.
WSJ: Russia using cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions
Russian smugglers are using the cryptocurrency tether to circumvent Western sanctions and purchase weapons and drone parts, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on April 1.
US warns American companies to stop shipping products that may end up in Russian weapons
Despite wide-reaching import bans and sanctions, the U.S. and its allies have struggled to prevent Western components from ending up in Russian weapons used to attack Ukraine.
Bloomberg: US and UK tracking $20 billion in crypto transfers to Russia
The U.S. and U.K. are investigating several cryptocurrency transactions valued at more than $20 billion that passed through a Russian-based virtual exchange, Bloomberg reported on March 28.
Russia uses UN veto to block renewal of North Korea sanctions monitors
Russia on March 28 vetoed the annual renewal of the panel of experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Germany charges 5 people for sale of gas turbines to Russian state-owned company in occupied Crimea
The individuals involved reportedly knew that the turbines would ultimately end up in occupied Crimea, despite the original sales documents saying they would be installed in Russia proper.
US, South Korea announce joint sanctions targeting financers of North Korea's weapons program
North Korea has been shaping up to be Russia's leading weapons supplier, reportedly providing Moscow with extensive military packages, including ballistic missiles and over 3 million artillery shells.
Prague sanctions Medvedchuk over 'influence operations' in Czechia, EU
Fiala said that Viktor Medvedchuk and another sanction individual, Ukrainian-Israeli pro-Kremlin propagandist Artem Marchevskyi, "oversaw several influence operations and networks from the Russian Federation" and sought to influence social discourse in Czechia through the Voice of Europe organization, which was also placed on the sanctions list.
Samsung Pay will stop working with Russian Mir cards in April
The move was likely spurred by the announcement of new U.S. sanctions against the Russian National Payment Card system (NSPK) in February 2024, which coincided with the second anniversary of the full-scale war and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at a penal colony in Russia.
Investigation: Belarusian timber enters Poland under false documents, bypassing EU sanctions
Belarusian timber enters the EU market despite sanctions, being supplied to Poland under false documentation passing it off as Kazakh wood, a joint media investigation published on March 26 said.
FT: Russia begins ‘arms-for-oil’ trade with North Korea, defies sanctions
Russia is defying U.N. sanctions by supplying North Korea with oil, likely in exchange for weapons, the Financial Times (FT) reported on March 26.
European Council sanctions 33 people over ‘slow killing’ of Alexei Navalny
The European Council has sanctioned 33 people and two entities over the death of former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last month, it was announced on March 22.
Bloomberg: US backs plan to issue $50 billion in bonds from frozen Russian assets
The United States proposed to the Group of Seven (G7) countries that they establish a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) to issue $50 billion in bonds from profits generated by frozen Russian assets and use the proceeds to support Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on March 21.
Russian media: Several Chinese banks stop accepting yuan payments from Russia
Several Chinese banks have stopped accepting payments from Russia in Chinese yuan, fearing ramifications of U.S. sanctions, the Russian state-controlled outlet Izvestia reported on March 21, citing representatives of the Russian baking sector and business.
Russian media: Most Armenian banks to stop accepting Russian Mir cards
Representatives from the partially Russian-state owned bank VTB told RBC that most banks in Armenia, barring VTB, would stop accepting cards that worked through the Mir payment system by March 30.
EU set to approve fresh sanctions against Russia over Navalny's death
Bloomberg reported earlier in March that the EU was readying a new package targeting around 30 individuals in response to Alexei Navalny's death in February.
Bloomberg: China on track to receive record levels of Russian oil imports in March
While India has also remained a critical market for Russian oil, payment issues, in part related to Western sanctions, have caused delays in the trade of oil between the two countries.
Investigation: Leading Polish fashion retailer fakes exit from Russian market
Polish fast-fashion clothing and home accessories retailer LPP S.A. allegedly had been masking its fictitious exit from the Russian market since spring 2022, U.S. investment research firm Hindenburg Research said in its investigation published on March 15.
Russia bans entry to over 200 US policy makers, business leaders, journalists
The Russian Foreign Ministry added another 227 U.S. citizens to its list of those who are banned from entering Russia, state news agency TASS reported on March 14.
European Parliament votes to criminalize circumvention of EU sanctions
The new directive defines the circumvention of sanctions and ensures that it will be treated as an offense punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years in all member states.
Russian media: Russian Il-76 military transport plane crashes in central Russia, 15 reportedly killed
The confirmation came after Telegram channels shared videos of a plane on fire in the sky. The 112 Telegram channel claimed that all eight crew members and seven passengers died in the crash.
(Updated: )
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