EU sanctions on nearly 100 Russian banks disrupt key money-transfer routes used by Russians who left after the full-scale invasion

The European Union has sanctioned nearly a hundred Russian banks and organizations. Meduza reports it's the largest sanctions batch in four years, including names like Wildberries Bank, MTS Bank, and Yandex Bank. The restrictions immediately disrupted Zolotaya Korona, a critical money-transfer system for Russians living abroad—particularly those in Georgia and Kazakhstan who left after the twenty twenty-two invasion. The service has now suspended transfers to most countries, leaving only a handful operational. The sanctions also hit two of the three banks issuing Chinese UnionPay cards, Russia's only functioning international payment system, potentially restricting how diaspora members access their funds.

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