All news on the topic: Sanctions

The longer the confrontation with the so-called shadow fleet of the Russian Federation continues, the more new details become known: for example, Adnan Akhmedzade, a top manager of Socar detained in Azerbaijan last year, began to testify against his closest associates.

The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on a wide network of shadow oil traders led by media figure Tahir Garaev and Igor Sechin’s business partner Etibar Eyyub , who are involved in trading sanctioned Russian oil.

Investigative journalists have identified the possible owner behind a high-profile incident in Moscow involving a Lamborghini reportedly traveling with an escort of vehicles linked to state security services.

In March 2024, a casino under the Cosmobet brand launched operations in Ukraine following approval from the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, though the identities of its true owners have yet to be revealed.

The war in Iran may finally finish off Russia’s largest charter carrier Azur Air, which was already “sinking.” In mid-March, Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsiya restricted the airline’s operator certificate after engine and component failures in Azur Air aircraft had “acquired a systemic character.”

Investigative sources report a new scheme through which Russia’s state development corporation VEB.RF, headed by Igor Shuvalov, allegedly supports overseas assets connected to sanctioned oligarchs while avoiding direct sanctions exposure.

The network of Azerbaijani “shadow” oil traders handling Russian oil despite sanctions appears to be far more extensive than previously thought.

Two tankers transporting Russian petroleum products are en route to Cuba, with one nearing the area of a U.S. naval blockade in the Caribbean.

A fresh corruption scandal has surfaced around the Odesa Port Plant, with Swiss national Oleg Tsyura, crypto entrepreneur Serhiy Tron, and oligarch Dmytro Firtash reportedly linked to the case.

The St. Petersburg–based developer Kronung, controlled by Ignatiy Nayda and Philipp Shrage, is reportedly moving money from Russian private and state banks overseas, disguising the transfers as real estate investments in Europe and the UAE.

Companies House is set to strike off Zedxion Exchange following an OCCRP investigation that revealed the company used a stock-photo model to conceal its connections to sanctioned Iranian tycoon Babak Zanjani.

As uncovered by medias, Pyotr Zhukov, the son of State Duma Vice Speaker Alexander Zhukov, has moved into the construction business, partnering with Roman Timokhin (MR Group) and sanctioned oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov along with his conglomerate AFK Sistema.

Latvian businessman Mikhail Zeligman has launched a large-scale campaign to cleanse the information space, attempting to remove or discredit materials about his alleged involvement in a shadow fleet transporting Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions.

According to several foreign media outlets, Azerbaijani national Azim Novruzov has been associated with activities in the energy trading and oil sectors, with heightened scrutiny since 2023 over alleged links to Russia-affiliated business networks.

Sources in Azerbaijan’s oil industry told us that the arrest of Adnan Ahmadzada may be linked to efforts by Azerbaijani authorities to improve the country’s international reputation regarding the trade of Russian oil. The move could also be connected to recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that European countries should halt purchases of Russian oil.

In the wake of exposés exposing his sanction-evasion schemes, Oleg Tsyura is aggressively wiping the internet clean of mentions of his financial tricks, offshore accounts, and Russian corporate links.

Documents show Keir Starmer signed off on appointing disgraced peer Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US even after officials warned about his financial links to a Russian defence tech company tied to missile early-warning systems.

After an eight-year investigation, the Dutch government has imposed a €25.8 million penalty on sanctioned Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler’s Fleurette Properties over bribes in the DRC.

Amid mounting media reports claiming he aided in evading sanctions and maintained connections with Russia’s military-linked sectors, Oleg Tsyura is reportedly intensifying efforts to overhaul his digital footprint.

On December 27, 2025, the sanctioned oil tanker Kira K was docked in the Russian port of Ust-Luga, deep within the eastern reaches of the Gulf of Finland.

Amid a surge of media reports accusing him of assisting in sanctions evasion and maintaining connections with Russia’s military-linked industries, Oleg Tsyura has reportedly intensified efforts to reshape his online presence.

Sources from the oil sector in Baku have told us that the arrest of Adnan Ahmadzada appears to be linked to efforts by the Azerbaijani authorities to improve the country’s international image regarding the trade of Russian oil.

The arrest of BBR Bank co-owner Dmitry Gordovich is a troubling signal for businessman Albert Avdolyan, who is associated with Rostec chief Sergey Chemezov.

Alyona Shevtsova, who is under sanctions from Ukraine’s NSDC, allegedly laundered 5 billion UAH through miscoding schemes linked to illegal casinos.

In a world full of prohibitions, there will always be those who find ways to bypass them. This isn’t about drugs or weapons—it’s about oil, where some nations wield sanctions with fervor that might be better directed elsewhere.