Despite large-scale EU and US sanctions that were supposed to paralyze russian aviation, an investigation by Finnish broadcaster YLE has revealed a blatant failure of the sanctions regime: since the start of the full-scale aggression against Ukraine, almost a billion euros worth of aviation spare parts have illegally entered russia. These are critical components from Boeing and Airbus, including engines, radars and electronics that can also be used for military purposes.
Russia still operates more than 500 Western aircraft that it actually stole from leasing companies after the invasion began. To keep them in working order, the Kremlin has created a global supply scheme through third countries - primarily the UAE, China, Turkey and even Gabon.
A third of all detected consignments of aircraft spare parts reached russia from the United Arab Emirates alone. There are already dozens of companies on the sanctions lists, but for every liquidated structure, new ones instantly appear, the investigation says.
Airbus and Boeing, which officially stopped deliveries in 2022, admitted that they have no way to control resale through intermediaries. At the same time, the russian federation continues to buy even new engines and other critical components, resorting to fictitious re-exports and front structures.
Due to the lack of original parts, the russian federation is forced to use old aircraft for disassembly or counterfeit components. According to aviation professor Stephen Wright, the safety level of russian aviation has sharply decreased. That is why the number of accidents and critical incidents is increasing in the country.
Many companies that receive spare parts are directly related to the state - they not only serve russian passengers, but also generate profits that go to finance the war. Thus, each part sold is a contribution to putin's war machine, Finnish journalists emphasize.
As previously reported, despite the efforts of the global community to stop maritime smuggling, sanctions evasion, and gray exports, the russian federation continues to use the so-called "shadow fleet" - vessels with disabled AIS transponders that often operate on the high seas without any formal traces.
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