Ukraine imposes sanctions against the operator of the Mir payment system

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions against 140 entities in Russia's financial sector, including the National Payment Card System (NSPK), the operator of the Mir payment system. He announced this in a video message on his Telegram channel.

"I signed documents on sanctions today. A decree on the introduction of sanctions against the Russian financial sector: 140 different entities," Zelensky said.

The corresponding decree was published on the website of the President of Ukraine.

In accordance with it, sanctions are introduced for a period of ten years against 75 individuals and 65 legal entities. In addition to the NSPK, the Zolotaya Korona payment system was included in the sanctions list. The restrictions, in particular, provide for the blocking of assets, the termination of trade operations, and the suspension of the fulfillment of economic and financial obligations.

Zelensky added that a second document is also being prepared - a bill on criminal liability for attempts to circumvent sanctions.

Russian authorities consider the restrictions that Kiev and other countries are introducing due to military actions in Ukraine to be illegal . After the departure of international payment systems Visa and Mastercard from Russia, most Russian banks began to issue only cards of the Mir payment system.

Mir cards are partially accepted by partner banks in some countries, such as Abkhazia, Armenia, Belarus, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Cuba, etc. In October 2024 , it became possible to withdraw cash from Mir cards in the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Andrei Rudenko announced plans to agree on expanding the coverage of the payment system in Asian countries.

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