Russian leasing subsidiaries of major banks Raiffeisen and Unicredit have been officially labeled by Ukraine as “war accomplices” and have been subject to sanctions such as confiscation of assets. This emerges from a decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that was published last night.
A total of 182 companies and three people are affected. They are tasked with transporting military personnel and equipment by rail on behalf of the aggressor state.
Belarus companies are also on the list
The confiscated available assets will benefit national defense, Zelenskyy said in his video message. Belarusian companies that support Russia with transport are also on the list published in the evening.
Ukraine is working to ensure that other states also block companies’ assets. At the same time, Zelenskyy thanked “everyone who is helping to strengthen sanctions against Russia” and the investigators who discovered and prosecuted Russia’s evasion of sanctions.
Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has been criticized for its involvement in Russia. The Russian subsidiary of UniCredit, parent of Bank Austria, was managed from Vienna until 2016. RBI and UniCredit Austria are the largest banks in Austria after the Erste Group.