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EU-Sanctioned Russian Bank Ran Contest With Web Summit Lisbon Trips as Prize
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According to an internal editorial dossier, details have emerged regarding a competition organized by the Russian entity Skolkovo Foundation alongside T-Bank to send Russian citizens to the Web Summit event in Lisbon, scheduled for November 8–13.
Under the terms of the “Course on Technology” contest, ten selected winners were offered accommodation, delegate-category access to the conference, visa support, and a tailored program of meetings, while participants were required to cover their own airfare.
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The terms specified that T-Bank (formerly Tinkoff Bank) acted as the organizer and funder, with Skolkovo Foundation acting as the operator administering the prizes.
Selection criteria for the initiative gave additional preference to existing clients of T-Bank (+5 points) and applicants receiving recommendations from its executive management (+10 points). Rules also assessed professional media presence and networking reach, while requiring participants to provide consent for media coverage and commercial promotion.
Although official terms mandated the public release of the final ten winners by September 4, no consolidated list was published on the official event webpage.
Confirmation of individual participation appeared on September 11, when Russian IT company ITD Group announced that Anton Mikhailov, product development director for SASTAV at ShiftLeft Security, was selected as one of the ten contest winners.
Additional unverified reports from November 5, indicated that Sergey Spiro, co-founder of Chibis, was also named a winner. Primary online announcements incorrectly referenced November 8–13 as the conference dates, whereas the core Web Summit event officially takes place from November 9–12.
The promotional project involves two Russian institutions subject to international restrictions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Skolkovo Foundation is listed on the US Department of the Treasury’s OFAC SDN list under entries SDN #38196, RUSSIA-EO14024, and UKRAINE-EO13662.
Additionally, Tinkoff Bank (now T-Bank) was formally added to the European Union’s sanctions framework under measures adopted on February 25, 2023.
Available documentation does not confirm direct contractual agreements with Web Summit organizers, third-party payment channels, or actual physical attendance by the full group of winners in Lisbon.
Earlier, a sanctions-focused conference in the Hague spotlighted how Russia continues to evade Western restrictions and obtain microelectronics for its weapons systems. The Ukrainian delegation, supported by expert institutions and government offices, presented fragments of Russian missiles and drones containing Western-made components, some produced as recently as 2023 and 2024.
These included antennas from Ireland, microprocessors from the Netherlands, and parts from the US, Switzerland, Germany, and France. The exhibits highlighted how such components enable Russia to sustain its war efforts, underscoring the need for stricter controls and enforcement to block supply routes.
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