The SSU continues to expose crimes of russian officials involved in unleashing and waging the war against Ukraine.

As a result of operational and investigative activities, the SSU collected evidence proving the participation of the head of the Central Bank of russia Elvira Nabiullina in financing the military groups of the aggressor state.

This official organized the introduction of the so-called ‘ruble zone’ in the temporarily occupied areas of the south and east of Ukraine.

To this end, she instructed to open ‘branches’ of the kremlin-controlled Promsvyazbank on the basis of the seized branches of Ukrainian financial institutions.

The head of the russian central bank also assisted local occupation administrations in blocking the circulation of Ukrainian hryvnia.

To implement this, the enemy banned electronic transactions and cash payments in hryvnia in the occupied territories and precluded encashment of Ukrainian currency.

According to the investigation, the ‘ruble’ revenues to the russian budget were used to finance the military-industrial complex and occupation groups.

Based on the SSU’s evidence, the head of russia’s Central Bank was notified of suspicion under the Article 110.3 of the CCU (intentional actions committed by a representative of the authorities, by prior conspiracy of a group of persons, with the aim of changing the borders of the territory and state border of Ukraine and violation of procedure established by the Constitution of Ukraine, which led to death of people and other grave consequences).

The decision to put the suspect on the international wanted list is pending.

The crime is punishable by 10 to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The SSU Main Directorate for Counterintelligence Support of Critical Infrastructure and Countering Terrorism Financing and the SSU Main Investigation Directorate exposed the criminal activity under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.