might be higher compared to cards belonging to more established payments systems. After the 2022 Russian invasion of the Ukraine, the payment system gained in popularity worldwide for countries seeking to evade sanctions against Russia. Since October 2022, monetary allowances for servicemen mobilized for the war with Ukraine have been credited to Mir cards. Acceptance in other countries As of 27 September 2022, MIR is used in seven countries: Belarus Egypt (2022) Kazakhstan (2023) Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Venezuela (2022) Cuba (2022) Countries where Mir was formerly used, but where use has been suspended since 20 September 2022 or earlier: Armenia (2018) Turkey (2019–2022) Uzbekistan (2019–2022) Vietnam The MIR cards can also be used in Abkhazia and South Ossetia since 2019 Before the Russian-Ukrainian War, Bulgaria and Thailand were expected to adapt MIR, according to Central Bank of Russia. Mir was also being tested in the United Kingdom and in South Korea. In March 2022, Iran was considering recognizing Mir to allow it to continue trading with Russia as due to sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Russian banks were banned from the SWIFT system used globally. According to the TASS news agency, in the summer of 2022, four African countries and one Middle Eastern country considered launching Mir cards: Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa and Syria. India In 2021, India and Russia expressed interest in continuing dialogue on accepting RuPay Cards and Mir Cards within national payment infrastructures. Cuba In April 2022, Cuba made the decision to allow Mir cards. Juan Carlos Escalona, ​​tourism advisor to Cuba's embassy in Moscow, indicated that visitors from Russia will be able to pay for services in Cuba with Mir cards once flights resume between both countries. On 26 July 2022, ATMs in Cuba began to accept Russia's Mir payment cards, Juan Carlos Escalona, adviser to the embassy of the republic on tourism, told the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). Sri Lanka In May 2022, Sri Lankan ambassador to Russia Janita Abeivikrema Liyanage said that Sri Lankan authorities are working to ensure that the Mir cards are among the cards that can be used upon arrival in their country. “This issue has been resolved. This year it will work". However in October, the Central bank of Sri Lanka noted that approving Mir in Sri Lanka was impossible due to US sanctions. Instead Sri Lankan and Russian banks signed an agreement which allows Russian