WSJ: The Maldives Have Become a Secret Hub for Russia to Evade Sanctions

WSJ: The Maldives have become a secret hub for Russia to evade sanctions

The Maldives have become a transit hub through which Western goods worth hundreds of millions of dollars are supplied to Russia, including dual-use products, The Wall Street Journal writes after reviewing air waybills, a cargo manifest, and correspondence between logistics companies, as well as speaking with Western officials.

According to the newspaper, goods from the United States, Europe, and China are delivered to Malé airport, where local intermediaries help alter the accompanying documents. The cargo is not formally imported into the Maldives; after a minimal customs check, it is reloaded onto Aeroflot’s daily flight to Moscow. In the new air waybill, the original seller and the goods’ country of origin are no longer listed.

As a result, some of the goods are transferred after arrival in Russia to sanctioned companies, including S7 Airlines and its aircraft maintenance units. Among the goods transported through the Maldives, the WSJ found microchips, optical instruments, as well as high-strength aerospace rivets and bolts that can be used in both civilian and military equipment.

As an example, the newspaper cites a shipment of equipment from Germany’s Kraemer Mining to the Kyrgyzstan-based company Peretsvo in May 2024. The cargo was first delivered from Dusseldorf to Malé and then sent by Aeroflot to Moscow. In the second air waybill, Kraemer Mining and the goods’ country of origin were no longer mentioned, while the recipient was listed as Krasnoyarsk-based Gruppa Kompaniy Tekhno.

🔵According to Maldivian customs data, in 2022-2025 the country exported