US exposes network that helped Russian elites circumvent sanctions

The US Treasury Department has announced the imposition of sanctions on the international network TGR Group, which helped Russian elites circumvent US and international sanctions. This is stated on the website of the department, UNN reports.

Details

The U.S. Treasury Department notes that TGR Group is a Russian company controlled by Ukrainian citizen George Rossi and has offices in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.

The company provides its clients with a range of services, including money laundering related to sanctioned entities, illegal cash and cryptocurrency exchange, and concealment of funding sources, which allows wealthy Russian citizens to purchase real estate in the UK.

Through the TGR Group, the Russian elite attempted to use digital assets - in particular, stable coins backed by US dollars - to circumvent US and international sanctions and further enrich themselves and the Kremlin,

The sanctions list includes: George Rossi, a Russian-born Ukrainian citizen who controls the TGR Group of companies, as well as Russian citizen Elena Chirkinian and Latvian citizen Andrejs Bradens. The US Treasury believes that Chirkinian is directly subordinate to Russia and makes decisions in the TGR Group. In 2023, she was involved in the transfer of funds to the UK to support the Russian propaganda channel RT. Bradens is affiliated with several TGR Group companies - TGR Corporate Concierge and Pullman Global Solutions.

In addition, TGR Group used other companies to conduct illegal activities, including Smart Group, headed by Kateryna Zhdanova. She was sanctioned by the US in 2023 for her involvement in money laundering schemes worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Recall

The U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on 5 Russian officials over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. russia has illegally taken thousands of children, changing their identities and subjecting them to pro-Russian propaganda.