The company EasyStaff, founded by Russians in Vilnius, has transferred over €50 million to Russia while facilitating the hiring of Russian freelancers by Western companies, LTR reports.
As Western governments work to block financial flows to Russia, certain business entities exploit loopholes, undermining the effectiveness of global sanctions.
Founded in 2020 by Russian citizens Vitaly Mikhailov and Yevgeny Fedorov, EasyStaff brands itself as a global freelancing platform. In reality, however, it may act as a mechanism that may allow EU and US sanctions to be circumvented.
EasyStaff utilizes alternative payment methods such as PayPal, Skrill, card transactions, and cryptocurrency, thereby bypassing SWIFT restrictions.
According to Lithuania’s State Data Agency, imports of computer services from Russia rose from €2.64 million in 2023 to over €56 million in 2024, which is nearly twice the pre-pandemic level. Yet when contacted by LRT’s investigative team, no government agency could initially explain this surge.
Eventually, the reporters discovered that most of the €56 million traced back to a single company: EasyStaff.
Though EasyStaff presents itself as a global platform helping companies hire and pay foreign freelancers, in practice it serves as a bridge for EU and US businesses seeking to contract Russian workers without direct interaction with sanctioned banks.
Mikhailov insists the platform is globally oriented and denies that Russians form its main client base.
When asked whether EasyStaff helps Russian firms navigate sanctions, Mikhailov replied that the company breaks no laws and works only with non-sanctioned banks. He added that EasyStaff consults with two law firms to ensure full compliance with restrictions and claimed that clients choose the company for its efficiency, not to evade sanctions.
Since EasyStaff lacks a payment institution license in Lithuania, it is not regulated by the Bank of Lithuania. A spokesperson for the central bank noted that EasyStaff appears to function more like a marketplace for service contracts than a payment processor.
Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service has confirmed awareness of the company but said it has detected any threats.
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