Private jets and villas, bank accounts and financial assets: Switzerland is coming under criticism from the international community.  Have Swiss asset managers and well-known institutions circumvented sanctions against wealthy Russians with good connections to the Kremlin?

When the Russian army invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union responded with sanctions against Russia. Russian oligarchs who did business in Europe were also affected. Many of them keep their assets in Swiss private banks. Switzerland joined the sanctions, albeit hesitantly and only under pressure from abroad. 

However, it appears that some Russian citizens are still managing to circumvent the sanctions. This is indicated by internal documents from a Zurich-based asset manager that were published on the darknet for a short time in 2023. How extensive are the concealed Russian assets? How seriously did the Swiss authorities take the sanctions? And by what means are the US and Europe trying to force the hand of the Swiss banks?

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