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Zigram: A7’s $6.9bn trail exposes global sanctions screening gaps

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Zigram: A7’s $6.9bn trail exposes global sanctions screening gaps

A7, a Russia-linked cross-border payments network, has channelled billions of dollars through major international banks, exposing weaknesses in sanctions screening and raising questions about how financial institutions identify transactions linked to sanctioned entities.

Established in 2024 by Promsvyazbank (PSB), a Russian state-owned lender with close ties to the defence sector, and Moldovan oligarch Ilan Mironovich Shor, the network operates through three central entities: A7 LLC, A71 LLC and A7 Agent LLC. These businesses oversee an extensive structure of shell companies and financial intermediaries spanning at least 83 countries and approximately 435 financial institutions.

A Financial Times investigation based on leaked internal documents traced approximately $6.9bn in payments involving A7-linked entities between late 2024 and August 2025. The transactions passed through accounts at several major international banks, including Standard Chartered ($1.1bn through Hong Kong), First Abu Dhabi Bank (more than $1.8bn across 17 entities), DBS ($273m), Citigroup ($74m) and Deutsche Bank ($18m).

One front company registered in Kyrgyzstan accounted for approximately $2.4bn in transactions. More than $2bn in export earnings linked to Russian oil company Rosneft was also reportedly channelled through at least 16 trading businesses.

Figures from US authorities suggest the network’s activities extend considerably further. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) estimates that A7 sub-agents processed more than $17bn in dollar-denominated transactions between January 2025 and June 2026. These flows included payments associated with Iranian oil sales and weapons procurement.

5bn. 9bn identified in the Financial Times investigation, meaning the amounts should not be combined.



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