LONDON, March 30. /TASS/. British authorities have fined Apple £390,000 ($516,000) for violating anti-Russian sanctions, according to a statement from the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI).

The statement notes that the penalty imposed on Apple Distribution International Ltd. (ADI) was for "making funds available to a designated person without a license."

The explanatory documents indicate that the fine relates to two payments totaling £635,620 ($841,000) that ADI transferred to the Russian media service Okko. The funds were transferred in two payments in June and July 2022. ADI, Apple's Irish-registered legal entity used to conduct business in Europe and the Middle East, notified the UK regulator of a possible violation.

In May 2022, Sberbank withdrew from several companies within its ecosystem. According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, the company Novye Vozmozhnosti (New Opportunities) became the new owner of the services Zvuk, Okko, Okko Sport, SberCloud, the Center for Technology and the IT company Evotor. In November 2022, the Okko online cinema's management became the new beneficiary.

In early April 2022, the US imposed sanctions on Sberbank, which include a freeze on assets in the US and a ban on American citizens conducting any transactions with the bank. Several countries, including the UK, have imposed similar restrictions on Sberbank.

On June 29, the UK also imposed sanctions on Novye Vozmozhnosti.