EU loses over €1 billion worth of goods during transit through Russia to EAEU
Goods Worth €1 Billion Disappear in Transit from EU to Central Asia through Russia
Goods worth over €1 billion from the European Union have gone missing while being transported through Russia in transit to final recipients in Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The Financial Times has reported that only half of the €2 billion worth of exports from the EU to Central Asia reached the final recipients. The rest of the goods disappeared in Russia. Dual-use items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes have disappeared. Western officials claim that this flow of shady trade has helped Russian President Vladimir Putin to maintain the economy during the war. The article notes that goods are imported into Russia, pretending they are in transit. Russia has been circumventing sanctions by using agents, intermediaries, and suppliers who indicate false destinations on EU customs declarations. As a result, Russia retains access to important goods such as aircraft components, optical equipment, and gas turbines. The Financial Times emphasizes that goods such as gas turbines, soldering machines, and radio equipment never reached their proper destinations. Shadow exports that never reached the official destination have left the EU for Russia from the Baltic countries.
