According to RFE/RL's article published on October 18, 2022, several banks in Kyrgyzstan have suspended the use of Russian Mir payment cards following similar moves by banks in neighboring Central Asian nations.
Bakai Bank, Kompanion Bank, and Dos Credo Banks announced on October 18 that Mir cards issued in Russia would no longer function in Kyrgyzstan, though they didn't say how long the suspension of operations will last.
The move comes amid repeated warnings from the United States and other Western countries that those who fail to adhere to international sanctions against Russia for its ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine may themselves face penalties.
Three weeks earlier, Dushanbe City Bank, one of the largest banks in neighboring Tajikistan, said it had suspended Mir payment card operations, citing technical issues.
On September 23, another Central Asian nation, Uzbekistan, said Mir payment cards issued outside the country would no longer work, though those issued locally were still fully operational.
In mid-September several banks in Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Vietnam suspended the use of Mir payment cards amid warnings by the U.S. Treasury about possible sanctions on institutions supporting Russia's payment system outside of Russia.
Moscow has vowed to expand its Mir payments system in so-called "friendly countries" as Western sanctions severely restrict its access to the global finance network over its war against Ukraine.
