January 18, 2020 "Information Clearing House" - Russia has successfully developed and implemented an alternative should it be excluded from international banking systems, according to a recent report. 

As far as western sanctions go, by far Russia's largest vulnerability is in its banking sector, which for better or for worse is tied to the hip with international banking.

If Russia wishes to maintain the status quo, there's not much that can be done about this dependency. But shortly after sanctions were announced in 2014, Moscow set out to prepare for the worst-case scenario: being cut off from the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system. 

In layman's terms, SWIFT allows for fast and (allegedly) secure international financial transfers. In fifty years when you are able to use your Bank of America debit card on the Moon (for a low fee of 2,000 moon rubles), it will be because of SWIFT or a system similar to it. 

There are two issues surrounding SWIFT "cut-off" for Russia: 1. Is it likely to happen? and 2. Is Russia prepared for it? 

Regarding the first question: The reality is that Washington's European poodles realize that cutting Russia from SWIFT would be a disaster. In 2015, European Central Bank policymaker Ewald Nowotny "warned against kicking Russian banks out of the SWIFT payments transfer system as part of tighter sanctions on Moscow."

According to Nowotny:

Such a move "we would see as very problematic because it could perhaps undermine confidence in this system," the governor of Austria's central bank told reporters in Brussels after meeting European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici.

Of course, this hasn't stopped Europe and Washington from threatening to pull the SWIFT plug.