The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has updated its Financial Sanctions FAQs guidance document, adding question 145. Question 145 clarifies enforcement position on suspense accounts for asset freezes.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) imposed a monetary penalty of £1,000,920.59 on UK travel technology firm Sabre Global Technologies Limited (SGTL) on 26 May 2026, under section 146 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (PCA 2017), for breaches of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855. SGTL continued to provide Ural Airlines, a designated person, access to its Global Distribution System for seven months following the airline's May 2022 designation. SGTL also sought to route payments through a non-UK bank account to circumvent UK financial sanctions. The penalty is the largest imposed for Russian financial sanctions breaches since 2022, the first issued by OFSI for a circumvention offence and the third resolved under OFSI's settlement policy, introduced in February 2026. The case was assessed as 'most serious' under OFSI's enforcement guidance.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has imposed a £165,000 monetary penalty on Deutsche Bank AG London Branch under section 146 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 for breaches of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI/2019/855. The penalty relates to two payments totalling £635,618.75 processed in June and July 2022 to Okko LLC, a company wholly owned by designated person JSC New Opportunities. OFSI determined that the payments violated Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI/2019/855, reg 12, which prohibits funds from being made available to persons owned or controlled by designated persons. The breaches arose after DBLB’s third-party screening vendor failed to include ownership data for Okko, meaning sanctions alerts were not generated during transaction screening. OFSI classified the matter as ‘serious’ and applied a 45% reduction to a baseline penalty of £300,000 in recognition of DBLB’s voluntary disclosure on 20 September 2022 and its settlement under OFSI’s new enforcement framework introduced on 9 February 2026. The matter was resolved through settlement discussions that commenced on 4 March 2026 under transitional arrangements, with DBLB agreeing to pay the penalty and waive its rights to ministerial review and tribunal appeal.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has published a report detailing the imposition of a £390,000 penalty on Apple Distribution International Limited. This entity, incorporated in the Republic of Ireland and a subsidiary of the US technology company Apple Inc., was penalised in accordance with section 146 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017. OFSI imposed said penalty for breaches of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855, namely Regulation 12 which prohibits making funds available to a person owned or controlled by a designated person. This action was taken on 19 March 2026.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/5632740 under the UK Autonomous Sanctions Regulations. This licence permits individuals to make funds available to or for the benefit of a UK Designated Person (DP) up to a specified permitted maximum. This allowance is applicable for each of the two months following the date of the UK DP's designation and is intended for the purpose of enabling the UK DP to make permitted payments. The licence aims to provide interim support for basic necessities to those subject to financial sanctions.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/5787748 under Regulation 64 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855 and Regulation 32 of the Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/600. This General Licence allows payments to be made to Arbitration Associations and Arbitrators to cover fees and expenses for their arbitration services. It also permits payments to be made to a designated person’s representative or legal representative to cover Arbitration Costs. General Licence INT/2022/1552576 relating to the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) Arbitration Costs was revoked following the issuance of the new Arbitration Costs General Licence.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/5855272 under regulation 64 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, S.I. 2019/855. This new licence specifically permits International Organisations to receive permitted payments that are transferred from accounts held with Gazprombank (DP), representing a targeted modification to existing sanctions arrangements.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/6641960 under the Russia and the Belarus Regulations which allows non-designated persons who have made investments through designated brokers to transfer their funds to a non-designated broker. This general licence only applies where the only designated party involved is the designated broker. The licence provides a mechanism for investors to move their investments away from sanctioned brokerage firms while maintaining compliance with sanctions regulations.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/7628424 under regulation 40 of the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/461. The licence allows Designated Persons (DPs), or those acting on their behalf, to make payments relating to remuneration, allowances and contractual or statutory redundancy payments for UK employees and directors. It also permits payments for employee pensions, fees and costs associated with the provision of IT services and fees or costs for UK chartered or certified accountancy services.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/7895596 under regulation 64 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855. The licence allows for the continuation of business operations involving Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD and Lukoil Neftochim Burgas AD, and any entities they own or control. The licence permits payments to or from the Lukoil Bulgaria entities under existing or new contracts, payments to or from other persons under such contracts, and the provision or receipt of economic resources from the Lukoil Bulgaria entities. The licence is effective from 14 November 2025 and expires on 14 February 2026.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/8031092, under regulation 64 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855. The licence allows for the continuation of business operations with Lukoil International Entities, expanding the scope beyond the previously licensed Lukoil Bulgaria entities to cover international operations more broadly.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued General Licence INT/2025/8202932 under regulation 64 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI. 2019/855. The licence permits persons to wind down transactions involving designated persons, specifically relating to Russian oil companies. The licence aims to provide a framework for orderly cessation of existing commercial relationships subject to Russia sanctions.