According to three informed sources, due to U.S. sanctions against its Russian parent company Lukoil, which severed its Americas trading division's ties to the global financial system, top employees at Litasco have been leaving for competitor companies over the past few weeks.

Litasco is the exclusive international marketing and trading company under Lukoil.

These departures mark the latest chapter in the disintegration of Litasco, once known as Russia's largest oil trader. Previously, the company had closed its global offices and laid off most traders and other employees due to sanctions announced by the U.S. in October last year.

In recent years, the trading division had attempted to distance itself from Lukoil to rebuild its business. Litasco appointed Dmitry Sinyenko as Managing Director of Americas operations in 2024, and several former associates from Gunvor followed him, increasing the number of employees at Litasco Pan-American from 5 in 2024 to over 25 last year.

Two sources said Sinyenko joined Castleton Commodities International as a refined oil trader last week. His closest aide, Sushant Koduru, joined the world's largest commodity trader Vitol earlier this month as a refined oil trader.

Several other top traders, including Melissa Mauro, have also joined Castleton, while Senior Operations Manager Anisha Sachanandani is in talks to join convenience store chain Circle K. These long-time collaborators had worked together at Noble Americas for nearly two decades before moving to Gunvor in 2016