Russia Has Imported 1Bln Euros in Sanctioned Aircraft Parts Since 2022 – Yle

Russia has continued to import aircraft parts from Boeing and Airbus despite EU and U.S. sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported Thursday. 

Yle’s investigation, which analyzed Russian customs data, found that Russia has imported at least 1 billion euros’ worth of aircraft parts since 2022, despite ambitious plans for a domestic airline parts industry.

The report shows that Russia has built a vast international network of 360 companies to bypass Western sanctions banning the sale of Airbus and Boeing parts to Russia. Many of these companies were added to Western sanctions lists after their involvement with Russia was revealed. 

The top exporters of airplane parts were companies located in the United Arab Emirates, Gabon, China and Turkey.

The shipments included not only basic cabin supplies but also critical components such as engines, radar systems and onboard computers, some of which could have potential military applications.

Between February 2022 and September 2024, Russia imported an estimated 600 million euros’ worth of Airbus parts and 400 million euros in Boeing components. Yle noted that the true volume of imports may be higher.

Recipients of these shipments were primarily airlines operating civilian flights. 

S7 Engineering, which “offers maintenance services for Western-built aircraft and components,” was among the companies identified by investigators. 

In response to Yle’s requests for comment, Boeing and Airbus said that they “comply with all applicable laws and sanctions related to Russia and there is no legal method for exporting aircraft, parts, documentation, or services to the country.”

In a related investigation published in February, Investigate Europe reported that India had shipped more than 700 consignments of parts to Russia since the war began in 2022. These included generators, valves, batteries, sealants, sensors, rotor blades, cockpit displays, bolts, filters and other essential components.

That investigation found that more than 200 imported parts delivered could potentially serve military applications, although the orders were primarily placed by civilian airlines. 

Utair, a Russian airline which was sanctioned by the EU in December 2024 for “logistical support of the Russian Armed Forces,” received approximately one-fourth of the parts. Other recipients included Aeroflot, its subsidiaries, Ural Airlines and other carriers.

The U.S. and EU have also banned Western companies from providing needed maintenance to Russia’s existing aircraft fleet.

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov revealed that approximately $500 million worth of aircraft parts purchased by Russia were frozen in the U.S. He said Moscow would seek the release of those parts as part of any future negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Alikhanov also said that the government intends to pressure Airbus and Boeing to recognize repairs carried out by Russian companies on their aircrafts during the sanctions period. 

“This maintenance was conducted without the required licensing verification from foreign manufacturers,” he said. 

Data from Russia’s Federal Air Transportation Agency indicates that Russian airlines currently operate 1,138 aircraft. Two-thirds of the fleet consists of Boeing and Airbus planes, which together are responsible for 90% of domestic passenger traffic.