Sanctions pressure: Russian oil giant Lukoil hands assets to Moldova
Lukoil transferred assets in Moldova to state ownership (photo: facebook.com/MinisterulEnergieiRM)
Under the impact of US sanctions, Lukoil assets at Chisinau Airport were transferred to state ownership of Moldova. In addition, the company was forced to pay a multi-thousand-dollar fine, the Ministry of Energy of Moldova reports.
It is noted that the State Property Agency and Chisinau International Airport signed documents with Lukoil Moldova that effectively nationalize the assets belonging to Lukoil on the airport's territory.
Interestingly, Chisinau also banned Lukoil's activities in sectors that are of strategic importance to state security, with the current beneficiaries and founders.
Lukoil was required to transfer the assets by January 9 of this year. Since the company failed to meet the requirements, on January 16, the Council imposed a fine of 300,000 dollars. A final deadline for the transfer of the assets was set for January 28 of this year.
As for the operation of gas stations in Moldova, their management will be transferred to the American investment fund Carlyle Group.
What preceded
Yesterday, January 30, it became known that the Russian oil giant Lukoil had concluded an agreement to sell its international assets to the American investment fund Carlyle.
The agreement with the American investment fund must be approved by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury.
This step became forced for the Russian company, as in October 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on two Russian oil giants, Rosneft and Lukoil. Against this background, several European countries where Lukoil has refineries began looking for solutions to prevent the plants from shutting down.
