Recently, the US Department of the Treasury announced that several companies from the IBS group and around 30 other Russian IT companies have been added to the sanctions list. These companies were targeted due to their involvement in the technological sector of the Russian economy.
The Astra Group was specifically called out for its part in developing an operating system that is heavily relied upon by the Russian defense industry and armed forces. Similarly, the IBS group of companies found themselves on the SDN List due to their roles in projects like digitizing Rostec state corporation and creating software solutions for government agencies.
This is not the first time Russian IT companies have faced sanctions. In 2022, approximately 30 Russian companies linked to microelectronics were also added to the SDN List. Additionally, Anatoly Karachinsky, the founder and beneficiary of IBS group was previously included in SDN list for serving on board of directors at Otkritie Bank in April 2022 – which prompted him to sell his stake in IBS to group’s management as reported by Interfax.