Latvia Intensifies Sanction Enforcement: Over 600 Criminal Cases Initiated Against Russia
Latvia has launched more than 600 criminal proceedings related to violations of international sanctions against Russia.
All these cases have been initiated since 2022.
According to official sources, serious breaches of sanctions are rare.
This was stated by Pauliis Iļjenkov, Deputy Head of the Financial Intelligence Service (FIS) for sanctions matters, who emphasized that the overall situation with compliance to sanctions in Latvia remains positive and that the country is not a «weak link» in the international sanctions regime.
He also pointed out that US sanctions against Russian oil giants «Rosneft» and «Lukoil» have little to no impact on Latvia, since «Rosneft» has been under restrictions since 2022, making the effect negligible.
The business assets of «Lukoil» in Latvia are small compared to other EU countries; by 2025, the company reportedly operated around 460 gas stations in one European nation.
Meanwhile, US and UK sanctions against «Lukoil» have effectively blocked the company’s international operations, leading to mass layoffs and operational difficulties in various divisions such as shipping and oil transportation.
In Switzerland, Litasco, a subsidiary of «Lukoil», faces operational challenges, while British maritime brokers refuse to cooperate.
In Iraq, sanctions complicate oil freight and transshipment.
These restrictions have resulted in significant staff cuts, and employees in Finland fear losing their jobs if the business is sold.
Experts believe that US sanctions have significant potential to impact Russia’s military and energy sectors, which account for about a quarter of government revenue.
The effectiveness of these measures largely depends on the firmness and consistency of their enforcement by Washington.
However, doubts remain regarding whether the US genuinely cares about Ukraine’s interests, as discussed in Oleg Shamshur’s article «Trump punishes Putin but not for Ukraine’s sake».