SBU exposes Russian national transferring cryptocurrency to occupied Donbas, Crimea

"Law enforcers established that the perpetrator had created a system of illegal money exchange, among other things with the use cryptocurrencies, via purposely created web resources and offshore-based companies. Among the businessman's clients were individuals and legal entities from Ukraine and Russia. As reported, he also took money from U.S. citizens, 'laundering' and converting the funds into bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies," it said.

According to the SBU, the Russian native has legalized his stay in Ukraine through a sham marriage.

Read alsoNBU's acting head says not against possession of bitcoins by Ukrainians"During the pre-trial investigation, the SBU received reports that the perpetrator maintained direct personal contacts with the leadership of some ministries and departments in the Russian Federation, including their security forces. He also directly cooperated with Russia's Sberbank Board Chairman on the creation of a Russian money transfer system using blockchain technology," the press service said in a statement.

Procedural measures are ongoing to verify the person's involvement in the actions to the detriment of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to identify the man’s accomplices.

On the morning of December 18, Russian-language crypto-blockchain news resource ForkLog reported that the Ukrainian SBU raided the rented apartment of its Founder and CEO, Anatoly Kaplan (Klimov), and their Odesa office.

As reported, the SBU officers left taking some of Kaplan's personal belongings including several pieces of equipment used to store cryptocurrencies, a notebook and other items. The declared reason for the raid, according to the publication, was existing allegations against a group of people from the U.S. and Ukraine involved in a scheme to steal funds from third-party payments.

According to the SBU, the suspects were exchanging bitcoin for Ukrainian hryvnia with the help of the internet-resource ForkLog.

ForkLog insists that none of the entities named in authorities' search warrant "were related to ForkLog or to its founder." The SBU's claim also seemingly contradicts the fact that ForkLog is a media/information resource that does not offer exchange services, and the magazine insists they in no way "helped" in such a process, according to the Coin Telegraph.

Read alsoCryptocurrency hits the high seas as Ukrainian shipping company accepts Bitcoin – mediaAccording to ForkLog, the company’s cash funds and 10 iMacs have been seized.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine lost 3 million jobs because of the occupation of Donbas and Crimea by Russia.