The UK has targeted 18 crypto platforms, banks, and financial networks linked to the Kremlin-backed “A7” payment network in an effort to prevent the circumvention of international economic restrictions.
UK authorities accuse the sanctioned entities of processing more than $90 billion in 2025, funds they say helped finance Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Crypto Platforms Linked to Illicit Russian Flows
A TRM Labs report reveals that several exchanges and payment platforms—including Huobi, Exmo Exchange, Bitpapa, and Rapira Group—were singled out in the action. According to TRM, Huobi alone routed more than $4.9 billion in on-chain transactions to UK-sanctioned entities and the A7 network since 2021. Notably, $1.13 billion of those transfers occurred in the 14 months after the March 2025 takedown of the Russian crypto exchange Garantex, with $838 million going specifically to the A7 network last year.
TRM’s analysis suggests that crypto activity tied to Russia did not decline after the collapse of Garantex; instead, it migrated to successor exchanges and payment platforms such as Rapira, Aifory Pro, Grinex.io, and ABCex. Exmo is reported to have transacted more than $19.5 million directly with sanctioned entities like Garantex and Chatex, while BitPapa also moved millions to these actors.
The report details substantial flows between the named platforms. Rapira reportedly moved over $543 million in total, including $375.6 million connected to Grinex.io. Aifory Pro is said to have transferred more than $189 million, of which $175.2 million was linked to ABCex. ABCex itself recorded $355 million in transactions involving restricted firms, sending $175.2 million to Aifory Pro, $133.4 million to Garantex, and $38.1 million to Rapira.
The UK government has added all 18 entities to the UK Consolidated List. Businesses operating within the country must now freeze any assets tied to those entities and block transactions involving the listed companies.
“If the Kremlin thinks it can evade our sanctions by hiding behind crypto networks and shadow financial systems, it is gravely mistaken,” said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Cooper said the restrictions aim to cut off financial flows that sustain Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russia-Related Illicit Crypto Activity Has Rebounded
The new sanctions also target individuals connected to the A7 network. The government’s report states that the group is supported by a Kyrgyz bank suspected of processing payments for the network, and that a major global crypto exchange is believed to have moved more than $1.5 billion back into Kremlin-linked financial channels.
In a related analysis, TRM Labs found that illicit crypto activity rose sharply in 2025. The company reported that a large share of that increase was driven by Russia-related trading: A7’s A7A5 token accounted for roughly $72 billion in trades alone, while the group’s own wallets were associated with about $39 billion. Much of these flows reportedly passed through exchanges such as Garantex and Grinex.
By placing the 18 entities on the sanctions list and requiring asset freezes and transaction blocks, UK authorities aim to disrupt the financial infrastructure allegedly used to channel funds to Kremlin-affiliated networks and to deter further evasion through crypto channels.