Moscow seizes assets linked to Wargaming over support for Ukraine

June 3, Pozirk. Moscow’s Tagansky District Court has banned the operations of OOO Lesta, the Russian spin-off of Wargaming, the developer of the World of Tanks and World of Warships and other popular computer games, and ordered the seizure of its assets, TASS reported.

Earlier, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office accused Lesta, its owner Malik Khatazhaev and Belarusian businessman Viktar Kisły, the founder of Wargaming, of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The court ruled that Kisły, Khatazhaev, OOO Lesta and OOO Lesta Games Agency be included in the “register of extremists and terrorists.”

In April, amid reports of OOO Lesta asset freeze, the Lesta-Igry Telegram channel reported that the management was aware of the issue.

“The company operates in full compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus; therefore, we have no grounds to be concerned or to conceal information. We have not violated anything and have nothing to fear,” the statement said.

It added that the company fully cooperates with Russian law-enforcement agencies to find a quick solution.

Russia’s Meduza reported that the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office investigated the company in connection with several marketing articles about Wargaming’s aid for Ukraine, including a campaign to raise nearly $1.8 million for mobile intensive care units. Prosecutors cited the articles as evidence of extremist activity.

A team led by Kisły founded Wargaming in 1998. The company sold its assets in Belarus and Russia to Russian businessman Katazhaev in July 2022. OOO Lesta Games continued to run the games in these two countries but renamed them “Мир танков,” “Мир кораблей” and “Tanks Blitz.”

In April 2022, Wargaming announced that it stopped operations in Belarus and Russia.

Wargaming, with its head office in Nicosia, Cyprus, also had offices in Kyiv, Prague, Helsinki, Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, Austin and Sydney.

Also read: Wargaming sells its business in Belarus, Russia