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Russia’s use of cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions has exposed a gap in the international community’s attempts to throttle Moscow’s war machine. Photo: Agency «Moscow» / snob.ru The emergence of the A7A5 stablecoin represents a transformative shift in global financial evasion.   Until now, the international community has relied on the dominance of the US dollar and the SWIFT system to enforce economic order, but the rise of ruble-backed digital assets suggests a sophisticated

Seizures of sanctions-busting oil tankers have triggered a new wave of disinformation from the Kremlin. A recent uptick in manipulative narratives about Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ suggests that the Kremlin is getting increasingly nervous about its ability to evade European sanctions on the export of Russian oil. Just as the Kremlin uses oil tankers flying false flags to transport Russian oil overseas, it uses false claims pushed by its foreign information manipulation and interf

In 2026, the Russian economy is not yet in decline, but it is in real trouble. War-driven growth is losing momentum, sanctions are tightening, financial reserves are shrinking, and uncertainty is increasingly shaping everyday life. What for a while looked like resilience is proving fragile, as the economic costs of the war spread beyond the battlefield. The illusion of resilience For years, the Kremlin has insisted that Western sanctions do not work and that Russia’s economy

Europe needs to share intelligence and exploit legal “gray zones” to tackle Russia’s sanctions-busting shadow fleet. Russian shadow fleet tanker Kiwala detained off the Estonian coast between the island of Aegna and the port of Muuga, east of Tallinn, Friday, April 11, 2025. Source: Priit Mürk/ERR The fleet, hundreds of ships strong, enables Moscow to circumvent curbs on oil sales and engage in sabotage, particularly in the Baltic, posing security, environmental, and economic

Like the Russian opposition, economic sanctions are popular but ineffective. By Edward Lucas Foto: Vladimir VELENGURIN / KP Sanctions on...

President Tokayev has restored order since “Bloody January” and boosted Kazakhstan’s image, but Russia’s economic weakness and tougher US...

Europe must respond more rapidly and with greater determination to halt the Kremlin’s war of aggression. By Nico Lange Source: SES of...

Russia’s economy is under pressure, but the Kremlin does not want you to know it. Instead, Moscow has launched an all-out campaign of...

The impending arrival of a new US President provides opportunities to improve the measures and seek transatlantic unity. There’s a whole...

Russia’s technological isolation is both a reality and a desired goal for Moscow. This piece explores the impacts of this phenomenon and...

Two years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, social discontent in Russia is heating up. Despite massive repression...

Kazakhstan is implicated in violating Western sanctions by facilitating Russia's access to prohibited goods, risking secondary sanctions...

Over 1500 Suspected Crypto Companies Shut Down Among Regulation Breach and Ties to Russia. Photo: Agency «Moscow» / snob.ru Estonia has...

In a matter of weeks after sanctions were imposed on the transit of goods to Kaliningrad, Facebook posts published by Lithuanian...

In its alternative universe, where the invasion to Ukraine is not actually an act of war but a 'special military operation', the Kremlin...

In these series of articles, we will review US sanctions on Russia. The chronology, what they are about and what are reasons why they...