The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has included four Cypriot companies on its sanctions list, citing direct or indirect ties to serving Kremlin interests, particularly in facilitating the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The entities in question are Eriner Limited, The Mother Ark Ltd, Lar Vorto Services Limited, and Ahetei Limited, as announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s OFAC.
All four companies are linked to Belgian entrepreneur Hans De Geetere, who has also faced sanctions.
According to U.S. authorities, De Geetere and his network attempted, in some instances, to dispatch electronic equipment to Russia through Hong Kong, China, and Turkey.
This equipment is believed to have been utilized for military purposes by Russia.
More specifically, De Geetere’s company Eriner, based in Cyprus, has repeatedly collaborated with Hong Kong-based M and S Trading to coordinate orders for electronic components destined for Russia.
The equipment in question, according to U.S. findings, is directly connected to systems identified in Russian unmanned aerial vehicles used during the invasion of Ukraine.
Belgian entrepreneur Hans De Geetere serves as the director of Cypriot companies Eriner Limited and The Mother Ark Ltd.
Another Cypriot entity, Lar Vorto Services Limited, appears in the administrative structure of several of De Geetere’s companies, including Eriner, The Mother Ark, and Ahetei Limited.
All four companies have declared the same office in Larnaca as their registered address, where a significant group of companies is housed.
