Tag: Region Asias

Two Russian oligarchs were found dead last week, within 48 hours of each other. They were found alongside their families in what investigators are labelling murder-suicides. Since the start of 2022, four other Russia-connected oligarchs have mysteriously died by suicide. Here is a list of the Russian oligarchs who have met a mysterious end in 2022 — so far, as reported by several mainstream sources cited below. 1. Sergey Protosenya [Novatek – natural gas] found hanged outside Spanish villa, bodies…

Vladimir Putin announced last month that if “unfriendly countries” wanted to continue buying Russian natural gas, they would have to pay in rubles starting April 1. It seems not everyone believed he was serious. Would Russia really turn away profit by refusing payment in other currencies? Apparently so. Many media outlets are calling the move a ‘weaponization’ of the gas supply, though clearly Russia may set its own terms and do as it pleases with its own natural resources, even…

The Pentagon says the U.S. is monitoring events in the Eastern European country of Moldova after the breakaway republic of Transnistria bordering Ukraine said explosions over the past two days hit a radio center and a security headquarters. The reports of explosions prompted Moldova’s president to convene a meeting of the country’s security council as she vowed to prevent an escalation. A Russian military commander said Sunday that one goal of the war in Ukraine was to establish a southern…

Monero, traded as ticker XMR, seems to be the only cryptocurrency able to escape the solid downtrend lately and the approaching hard fork is not the only cause. While it is a definite motivator, there are at least four additional main reasons. The first is obviously the new trend in sanctions. 1. The sanctionsFirst, the west has essentially sanctioned anyone they could get their hands on with suspected ties to Russian oligarchs, including their uncles and children. This year’s US…

According to Western media, now copy-paste reporting the same claims, Russian forces apparently secretly buried *up to 9,000 Mariupol civilians* in “mass graves” in a town just west of the city. Except, it never happened, there is no mass grave. It’s actually just a normal, small, cemetery…no pits, no mass graves, just an orderly cemetery whose grave diggers refuted Western claims. On April 23, with journalist Roman Kosarev, I went to Mangush (Manhush in Ukrainian), found a normal cemetery setting,…

You don’t want to call sanctions a hoax because they legitimately put compliance pressure on our businesses and people. But do they put any pressure on the actual targets? It’s part of our news cycle and even our language to think so. After all, what is a “sanction” if not a punishment for breaking the rules? In a move that was presented as severe by the press and by government, the Treasury Department promised sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment…

ExxonMobil (XOM.N) has suspended its liquefied natural gas project in Russia’s Far East, Interfax news agency quoted a Russian governor as saying on Monday, after the firm announced plans to quit the country following Western sanctions. ExxonMobil said last month it would exit its Russian oil and gas operations, which it had valued at more than $4 billion, and halt new investment due to sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. read more The decision would see Exxon pull out of managing…

  On April 6, 2022, the US imposed full blocking sanctions on Sberbank, Russia’s largest state-owned bank, by designating Sberbank and 42 of its subsidiaries as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs).  According to the US Treasury Department, Sberbank holds approximately one-third of all bank assets in Russia. Also on April 6, 2022, the US imposed full blocking sanctions on Alfa-Bank, Russia’s largest private bank.  Alfa -Bank, six of its subsidiaries, and five 5 vessels owned by an Alfa-Bank subsidiary have also…

S&P Global Inc violated Russian sanctions (E.O. 13662) by receiving payment from sanctioned Russian Rosneft. S&P didn’t voluntarily disclose the violation and received $82,500. They settled with OFAC for $78,750. Here’s the press release.

Germany shuts down servers for Russian darknet marketplace Hydra and seizes $25.2 million USD in Bitcoin. (WAPO) The illegal marketplace was a Russian-language Darknet platform that had been accessible via the Tor network since at least 2015. Their focus was on trading in illegal narcotics. In addition, data spied out worldwide, forged documents and digital services were offered profitably via the platform. (theRecord) Hydra also offered stolen databases, forged documents, and hacking for hire services—including murder, apparently. (see for instance…

  On March 31, 2022, the US expanded the focus of US-Russia related sanctions to include the aerospace, electronics and marine sectors of the Russian economy. Since the onset of the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the US has designated over 700 individuals and entities (persons) as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). As the assets of such SDNs – and entities they owned 50% or more – that are in the US or within the possession or control of US persons are blocked, such…

  On 29 March 2022, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs (the Minister) designated 39 individuals, including a number of Russian individuals engaged in serious corruption and human rights abuses, using the new powers set out in the Magnitsky sanctions amendments. Targeted financial sanctions and travel bans will apply to these persons from 30 March 2022.  This is the first time the Australian Government has implemented sanctions under its Magnitsky-style (or thematic sanctions) laws, which were introduced in December 2021.  These…

Key takeaways Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities are subject to extensive asset freezes and travel bans under Australian law. The export of alumina, aluminium ores, and aluminium hydroxide to Russia is banned Australian businesses with ties to Russian energy or telecommunication industries need to assess their exposure to these sectors as specific sectoral sanctions will apply from 28 March 2022. Bans on the import of oil and other energy products from Russia will apply from 25 April 2022 Australian…

History Nuclear weapons owned by the United States have been deployed in Europe since the mid-1950s, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized their storage at allied North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) bases on the continent for use against the Soviet Union. Though NATO officially declares itself a “nuclear alliance,” it does not own any nuclear weapons. Historically, the United States has deployed both nuclear bombs and nuclear-armed missiles to allied European states, including Greece and the United Kingdom, but since…

 – Summary –  Sanctioned by FCC March 25, 2022: AO Kaspersky Lab, China Telecom (Americas) Corp [0728.HK], China Mobile International USA [0941.HK] Previously Sanctioned by FCC: Huawei Technologies Co [HWT.UL], ZTE Corp [000063.SZ], China Telecom Americas (U.S. auth revoked in October 2021), Pacific Networks (U.S. auth revoked Mar 17, 2022), ComNet (U.S. auth revoked Mar 17, 2022), China Unicom [0762.HK] (Jan 2022) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has added Russia’s AO Kaspersky Lab, China Telecom (Americas) Corp (0728.HK) and China…