The Russian leasing companies of major banks Raiffeisen and UniCredit have been officially labeled “wartime accomplices” by Ukraine and are subject to sanctions such as asset confiscation. This is evident from a decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which was published on Saturday.
A total of 182 companies and three people are affected by Zelenskyj’s decision. They are accused of transporting personnel and military equipment by rail on behalf of the aggressor state (i.e. Russia, beware). According to the dpa news agency, Selenskyj said in his video message on Saturday evening that the available assets seized would benefit national defense.
Also Belarusian companies on the list
Belarusian companies that support Russia in the transports are also on the list that will be published in the evening. Ukraine is trying to get other states to block the companies’ assets as well. At the same time, Zelensky thanked “everyone who helps to strengthen sanctions against Russia” and the investigators who discovered and prosecuted Russia’s sanctions evasion.
RBI criticized for involvement in Russia
Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has long been criticized for its involvement in Russia. The Russian subsidiary of UniCredit, the parent company of Bank Austria, was managed from Vienna until 2016. RBI and UniCredit Austria are the second largest banks in Austria after Erste Group.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
