The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Maldives have become a channel for shipping sanctioned goods to Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. Microchips, aviation components, and optical equipment that could be used for military purposes pass through Male airport to Russia, the newspaper writes.
According to Russian customs data compiled by Import Genius, Russia's imports from the Maldives were less than $7 million in 2021. In 2022, they exceeded $630 million, and in 2024, they reached $160 million. Russian authorities began hiding part of customs statistics in 2024 and fully restricted access in 2025, so the latest complete data is from 2024.
Customs data from the Maldives itself shows a negligible volume of exports to Russia — over three years, these were shipments of tuna worth about $2,300 and booklets worth $25. As WSJ explains, goods are not formally imported into the islands but pass through them in transit, so they do not appear in export statistics.
The scheme works as follows: a commercial Aeroflot flight lands at Male airport. Local intermediaries working with logistics companies help with customs clearance of goods from the US, Europe, and China. The cargo does not leave the airport, and the original seller is no longer indicated in a new air waybill for the flight to Sheremetyevo. Among such companies, WSJ names Freight Care and Go Investment.
As an example, the publication cites a delivery by the German company Kraemer Mining: in May 2024, it sold pumps, batteries, and drive belts for €9,000 to a company from Kyrgyzstan. The cargo was sent from Dusseldorf to Male on an Emirates flight, and a few days later it flew to Moscow on an Aeroflot flight. The new waybill made no mention of Kraemer Mining, and the consignee was the Krasnoyarsk-based Techno Group of Companies.
Some of the cargo that passed through the Maldives was received by companies under sanctions, such as S7 Airlines and related enterprises.
Western officials told WSJ that the US and Europe are increasing pressure on the Maldives government. The country's authorities are aware of the problem and are taking measures, the publication's source added. According to him, customs lacks staff to fully inspect transit cargo at Male airport.
The Maldives remain a relatively small channel for circumventing restrictions: through China, Turkey, and the UAE, sanctioned goods worth about $15 billion enter Russia annually, WSJ writes.