39 foreign companies are helping Russia build a new intermediate-range ballistic missile dubbed “Oreshnik”, President Zelensky said. According to him, 21 of these firms are still not subject to sanctions, allowing Moscow to legally import critical components.
The Kyrgyz token A7A5 has emerged as a new instrument for financial sanctions evasion: in less than four months, it facilitated over $9 billion in transactions. The ruble-pegged token is backed by accounts at the sanctioned Promsvyazbank and traded on the Grinex exchange, which has ties to the blocked platform Garantex.
Hungary and Slovakia have blocked the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia, demanding energy guarantees in return. Bratislava is seeking up to €20 billion in compensation, while Budapest insists on import exemptions. The package included a $45 oil price cap, sanctions on Nord Stream pipelines, and measures targeting Russia’s shadow fleet.
More news in ESCU’s Russian Media Monitoring Report #23
