The European Union is implementing strict sanctions against the Russian ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5 and the payment service provider Payeer. These measures are a response to their involvement in Russia’s destabilization of Ukraine.
The EU has explicitly prohibited all direct and indirect transactions involving A7A5. This is a stricter stance than previous US or UK actions. Launched in January 2025, A7A5 is linked to the sanctioned A7 group, Moldovan fugitive Ilan Shor, and the Russian state bank Promsvyazbank (PSB). It was created to evade sanctions and avoid the freezing risks associated with USDT. The token saw massive growth, with over $1 billion in daily volume reported by July 2025.
Payeer is being sanctioned for providing crypto services to Russian clients and facilitating transactions for the government-backed app store, RuStore. In response to the sanctions, Payeer announced it is discontinuing services for users in both Russia and the EU. Users have until November 24, 2025, to withdraw funds.
EU financial institutions and crypto service providers must now screen for any exposure to A7A5 or Payeer and are required to block associated funds.
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