On July 15, 2025, the European Union sanctioned Simeon Boikov, also known as "Aussie Cossack," for his involvement in supporting policies of the Russian Federation government that undermine democracy, the rule of law, and security within the EU and third countries. Boikov has been implicated in spreading pro-Kremlin narratives related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, he reportedly disseminated disinformation about the 2024 U.S. Presidential election by paying an American influencer to post a fabricated video, "Storm-1516," falsely alleging voter fraud in Georgia.
Boikov raises donations through multiple online channels, accepting both cash and cryptocurrency. He has engaged directly with several high-risk, no-KYC Russian exchanges and has received funds via cash-to-crypto services and darknet markets, often routed through intermediary addresses.
Also today, the European Union designated A7 OOO, a company previously designated by the United Kingdom, for its role in undermining the holding of elections in Moldova. According to the EU, A7, established by pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor (also included in the designation), is linked to efforts to influence the Presidential elections and Constitutional referendum on EU accession held in the Republic of Moldova in 2024. Shor was also involved in the 2014 bank fraud scandal in Moldova that resulted in the loss of USD 1B in bank assets from Moldova’s economy. Shor currently lives in Russia and has previously said he believes Moldova should not be independent from Moscow. The EU states that Ilan Shor used A7 to transfer money to voters, offering payments in exchange for votes against the referendum and for specific candidates in the Presidential elections.
A7 was originally conceived as a mechanism to facilitate cross-border trade after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and is linked to the ruble-backed stablecoin A7A5 that, as TRM Labs has previously reported, was used by sanctioned and now-defunct Russian high-risk exchange Garantex to transfer user funds to Kyrgyz exchange Grinex. A7A5 and Grinex both have been identified by TRM Labs as being part of a new nexus of Kyrgyzstan-registered entities with cryptocurrency connections to sanctions evasion and terrorist financing, and are also likely tied to the import of dual-use goods from China to Russia through Central Asia. These organizations also show some traditional hallmarks of shell companies, such as registrations to residential addresses tied to multiple other organizations and shared contact information.
Taken together, these designations reflect the European Union’s continued resolve to counter hybrid threats — including disinformation, election interference, and the misuse of digital assets — that are linked to the Russian Federation and its affiliates. By targeting both individuals and infrastructure that enable these tactics, the EU is signaling a broader strategic shift toward disrupting the full lifecycle of influence operations, from funding flows to narrative dissemination. As more jurisdictions adopt similar measures, monitoring the cross-border financial and digital ecosystems that support such activity will remain essential to safeguarding democratic processes.
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