The United States Treasury Department today imposed sanctions on Ekaterina Zhdanova, a Russian citizen who helped Russia’s elite launder and transfer hundreds of millions of dollars using virtual currencies. All her assets in the US have been frozen and US citizens are prohibited from dealing with her. The department announced this today via a press release.
Zhdanova allegedly helped a Russian client hide his source of wealth by transferring more than $2.3 million to Western Europe. This happened through a fraudulently opened investment account and the purchase of real estate in 2022. This circumvented international sanctions imposed by, among others, the United States after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The woman is also said to have helped Russian oligarchs find refuge in other countries. For example, a Russian oligarch asked Zhdanova to transfer more than 100 million dollars to the United Arab Emirates, where she set up a bank account and possibly helped obtain a (fake) identity card.
“Our action today highlights the consequences of supporting corrupt Kremlin proxies, underscores the United States’ efforts to address the abuse of virtual currencies, and exposes the money laundering activities of an illicit entity,” said Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sebas van Aert
