Nearly a quarter of these goods came directly from European countries, Bloomberg reports, citing officials and trade flow data.
The publication does not specify which items are considered sanctioned and labeled as “high priority.” Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg notes, based on trade data, that the trade volume of these items between the European Union and Russia decreased. However, at the same time, the export of the same goods from European states to third countries significantly increased. Russia then received those goods that did not come directly from Europe.
Among the countries involved in circumventing sanctions, Bloomberg mentions Turkey, the UAE, Serbia, and China, as well as Russia’s neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.
Furthermore, according to one of the publication’s sources, trade data indicates that some of the sanctioned goods were produced by subsidiaries and subcontractors of some European companies operating abroad. These goods were then exported to Russia, also through third countries.
The Kyiv School of Economics calculated that from January to October 2023, Russia imported “combat goods” worth $8.77 billion. The list of these goods is similar to the “high priority” items of the European Union, Bloomberg writes.
The European Commission did not respond to the publication’s request for comment.
