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Latvia Cracks Down on Russia Sanctions Violations With 600+ Criminal Case
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Latvia has initiated over 600 criminal proceedings related to violations of international sanctions against Russia since 2022.
This operational metric was disclosed by Paulis Iļjenkovs, the Deputy Head of Sanctions for the Financial Intelligence Unit, during a public address, according to Delfi on November 6.
The unit official confirmed that all documented processes commenced after 2022. He stated that the total count of major sanctions infringement cases remains low. Overall, Iļjenkovs provided an assessment that Latvia's compliance posture concerning sanctions against Russia is positive, emphasizing that the nation does not constitute a "weak link" within the European or global enforcement structure.
In discussing the impact of recent US sanctions targeting the major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, the FIU representative noted minimal consequences for Latvia.
According to Delfi, Rosneft has been under Latvian sanctions since 2022, meaning the recent US measure has no practical effect on the company's status within Latvia. Additionally, Lukoil's commercial presence in Latvia is minor when contrasted with its scale in other European Union nations. For instance, the company was noted as operating 460 petrol stations in one other EU country in 2025.
Earlier, it was reported that Bulgaria is taking steps to gain control of the Burgas refinery, which is currently Russian-owned. The aim is to protect the facility from potential US sanctions targeting Russia’s largest oil producers due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The government is developing legislation that would permit a temporary state administrator to supervise and potentially sell the refinery, which is the nation's sole oil-processing plant and is controlled by Lukoil.
