The UzCARD system in TajKent Uzbekistan suspended the processing of payments via Mir cards issued by Bank of Russia's National Card Payment System NSPK, the chief executive of which has been targeted by U.S. sanctions.
The move by the UZCARD was warranted by the need to carry out the necessary technical procedures it said in a statement on Friday.
The decision had nothing to do with sanctions, according to Sobirjon Mahmudov, head of public relations at UZCARD.
The technical maintenance procedures are being carried out by our partner bank, which carries out payments, and it asked us to suspend the payment processes due to their maintenance works. Russia has promoted Mir as an alternative to Visa and MasterCard, which shut off their Russian networks after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February.
The United States has sanctioned NSPK's Komlev, saying it was trying to hold the Russian government accountable for its February 24 invasion and continuing war against Ukraine.
Shortly after, Turkish banks Denizbank and Isbank suspended the use of Mir.