EU activates anti-circumvention tool for first time, bans exports of some machines, comms equipment to Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK. April 24 (Interfax) - The EU is for the first time activating its anti-circumvention tool, prohibiting the export of any computer numerical control machines or radios to Kyrgyzstan where there is a high risk that these products will be re-exported to Russia, the EU said in a statement.
EU Council Decision 2026/508 states that machining centers for working metal (CN code 8457 10) and machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus (CN code 8517 62) were added to the list of prohibited goods.
EU Sanctions Envoy David O'Sullivan visited Kyrgyzstan at the end of February 2026. He expressed concern about the country's financial system and banks, as well as the situation with cryptocurrency and the import of certain goods. He said approximately 80 dual-use goods shipped from Europe to the country were being monitored closely, and so the EU did not rule out imposing restrictions on the export of certain goods to Kyrgyzstan if there was reason to believe that the products could be re-exported to Russia.
The banks Tolubay and Eurasian Savings Bank previously fell under EU sanctions. The EU prohibited them from any transactions with European counterparties and access to international payment systems. Sanctions against them come into force on November 12.
The Kyrgyz companies Old Vector LLC and Grinex LLC were also included in the sanctions list. According to the European Commission, the first company is the issuer of the ruble stablecoin A7A5. Grinex is a cryptocurrency exchange and a major platform for trading the stablecoin A7A5, the European Commission said.
On August 20, 2025, the UK Foreign Office announced the introduction of sanctions against financial structures and cryptocurrency networks which, according to London, were used by Russia to circumvent Western restrictions via Kyrgyzstan. Capital Bank of Central Asia and its director Kantemir Chalbayev, as well as the cryptocurrency exchanges Grinex and Meer (allegedly involved in the infrastructure of the new ruble token A7A5), fell under sanctions, according to the UK.
Furthermore, on February 24 the UK government announced the inclusion of Kyrgyzstan's Keremet Bank in the sanctions list, allegedly to prevent Russia from using the international financial system to support its military efforts. In January 2025, the bank was placed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said that Kyrgyz banks were not circumventing sanctions and that the U.S. has not presented facts regarding this.
