Topic: #russia
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Bank of Russia clears Sberbank for crypto trading ahead of planned Dec. 1 launch
Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, has secured Bank of Russia approval to trade crypto including Bitcoin, per an updated register, ahead of a planned Dec. 1 launch the bank says hinges on further rules.
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UK sanctions three crypto exchanges and two payment platforms over Russia links
The UK's FCDO sanctioned three crypto exchanges and two payment platforms suspected of helping Russian entities evade sanctions, saying two facilitated A7 network transactions; Chainalysis found TokenSpot, Grinex and Meer got over $308M from one HTX deposit address.
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Yandex says drones hit a second data center in two days, knocking Kaluga modules offline
Yandex said a drone attack disabled modules at its Kaluga data center, confirmed October 9, a day after a strike on its Sasovo site stopped operations there, Crypto Briefing reported.
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Japan adds Russian crypto exchange Garantex to asset-freeze list in Russia sanctions
Japan placed Russian crypto exchange Garantex on its asset-freeze list on Friday as part of expanded Russia sanctions that also cover 33 organizations, nine individuals and 35 shadow-fleet vessels.
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Russia's Finance Ministry pays some staff wages in digital rubles for first time
Russia's Finance Ministry said some employees received wages in the central bank's digital ruble for the first time, a voluntary scheme that began Oct. 1, though it didn't disclose participants or payroll totals.
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US designates Russia's A7 Network a criminal group, targets A7A5 ruble token
OFAC designated Russia's A7 Network a significant transnational criminal organization, and FinCEN proposed barring transfers tied to its front companies, a rule that would also reach crypto exchanges.
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Russia's Crypto Law Heads to Final Votes Tuesday
Russia's State Duma takes its final two votes on a landmark cryptocurrency bill that would license exchanges, cap retail investors at roughly $3,800 annually, and allow companies to pay foreign partners in Bitcoin and Ethereum to circumvent Western sanctions.
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Russia's Digital Ruble Ready for Widespread Use by September 2026
Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina said major banks and retailers are on track to accept the digital ruble by September 1, with the central bank completing technical preparations and now focusing on public adoption and convenience.
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Russia sells Yuzhuralzoloto stake for $1.3B after three failed auctions
Russia sold a 67.2% controlling stake in Yuzhuralzoloto to Moscow-based BTS-Most Holding for 93 billion rubles ($1.3 billion) on June 19, after three prior auctions in May and June drew no qualified bidders. The final price was 43% below the initial asking price of $2.2 billion.
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Russian drone strikes Chornobyl nuclear fuel storage facility
A Russian Shahed drone struck Ukraine's Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility near Chornobyl on June 7, causing significant structural damage. Ukrainian authorities reported normal radiation levels, while the IAEA called the attack deeply concerning and plans to dispatch inspectors.
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UK sanctions A7 crypto network for processing $90 billion for Russia
The UK sanctioned the A7 network and 17 other entities on May 26, applying banking-level restrictions to crypto exchanges for the first time under its Russia sanctions regime. The A7 network claims to have moved over $90 billion in 2025 alone.