UK imposes sanctions on three companies registered in Georgia
New UK sanctions against Russia
The UK has expanded its sanctions against Russia and added three Georgian companies to the list. The British government published a statement announcing the measures.
The statement says authorities targeted three Georgian companies that operate “Russia-oriented exchanges” and attempt to circumvent sanctions.
According to the document, the sanctions apply to Georgia-based companies Arvix LLC, Rapira Group LLC and Aifory LLC.
Under the sanctions, UK authorities will freeze all financial assets belonging to the three companies that fall under British jurisdiction. In addition, individuals and businesses operating in the UK face a complete ban on any economic, commercial or financial cooperation with the companies.
London said the new sanctions aim to restrict the activities of cryptocurrency and financial networks that help Russia circumvent international sanctions.
The UK government introduced a total of 18 new sanctions measures. The sanctions target companies based in Russia, the United Kingdom, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Panama and El Salvador.
What do we know about the sanctioned companies?
The Rapira Group LLC group appears most frequently in international analytical reports.
Blockchain analytics company Elliptic says Rapira registered in Georgia but also maintained an office in Moscow and worked extensively with the Russian cryptocurrency market.
According to reports, Rapira provided services converting roubles into cryptocurrency, enabling Russian companies and users to bypass international banking restrictions.
Elliptic says Rapira carried out direct transactions worth more than $72m with Grinex, a platform that Western authorities had previously linked to sanctions-evasion schemes.
International media outlets also reported that Russian law enforcement searched Rapira’s Moscow office in late 2025 in connection with alleged capital outflows.
The company registered on 9 November 2022. It is currently undergoing liquidation, with British citizen Ilya Akhaev listed as both owner and liquidator.
Aifory LLC, also registered in Georgia, appears in international reports under the name Aifory Pro. Reports say the company operated in Moscow, Dubai and Turkey.
According to Elliptic and other analytical platforms, Aifory offered users the ability to convert cash into cryptocurrency, as well as virtual cards linked to USDT, allowing access to Western online services restricted in Russia.
Reports also state that the platform took part in intermediary payment services between Russia and other countries, and that some transactions had links to Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges.
The company registered on 23 June 2023. According to business registry records, Mikhail Gevorkyan serves as both director and sole owner.
Information available publicly about Arvix LLC remains limited.
In the UK government document, authorities list the company among entities that helped Russia’s financial sector circumvent sanctions.
British authorities believe the company formed part of the same network that sought to weaken financial restrictions on Russia through cryptocurrency operations.
The company registered on 26 October 2023. According to business registry records, Tamaz Garaev is listed as both director and sole owner.
New UK sanctions against Russia
