The United Kingdom expanded the sanctions list by adding three individuals and five companies to the updated register. Information about this is published on the UK government website.
Four Kyrgyz legal entities were sanctioned — these are the companies Old Vector, CJSC Tengricoin, Grinex, and also Capital Bank of Central Asia.
Old Vector — is a company registered in Bishkek, formally engaged in wholesale trade. On August 14, the US Treasury added it to the expanded sanctions list because it is involved in cryptocurrency operations and affiliated with a group of legal entities under the A7 brand, providing financial services to Russia.
Sanctions were also imposed against Leonid Shumakov — the head of the A7A5 project for the ruble-pegged cryptocurrency. According to the Financial Times, about 9.3 billion dollars passed through the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5 in a few months.
Grinex — a Kyrgyz crypto company, also previously included in the US sanctions list. According to the US Treasury, Grinex is associated with the crypto exchange Garantex and participates in cryptocurrency operations aimed at circumventing sanctions.
CJSC Tengricoin — is also a company registered in Bishkek, providing trust services to Russia.
"Capital Bank of Central Asia" conducts activities "of economic significance" and "is involved in supporting the Russian government," according to the UK government website.
Two entrepreneurs from Kyrgyzstan were sanctioned: the director of "Capital Bank of Central Asia" Kantemir Chalbaev and the head of the "Trading Company of the Kyrgyz Republic" Zhanishbek uulu Nazarbek.
The Luxembourg company Altair Holding was also included in the list for "conducting activities in the Russian financial services sector," the statement said.
Thus, the United Kingdom "prevents Russia's attempts to evade sanctions by using Kyrgyz financial systems and crypto networks."
The Russian Foreign Ministry, in response, announced retaliatory sanctions, including 21 people in the list, most of whom are journalists from British publications. "In response to London's ongoing confrontational course, which involves efforts to demonize our country, actively fabricating anti-Russian narratives to reduce Moscow's influence on the international stage, as well as further arming the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv, a decision was made to include in the Russian 'stop list' a number of representatives of the media, NGOs, consulting structures, and the expert community of the United Kingdom," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.