Postal Loopholes Facilitate Sanctions Evasion
An investigation by German media reveals that Russia is circumventing EU sanctions by sending banned goods through a logistics hub near Berlin and exploiting lighter oversight on international mail. Test shipments equipped with GPS trackers moved through the Berlin Brandenburg Airport facility unnoticed before being forwarded via Poland and Belarus to Moscow.
The operation reportedly uses shipping labels from Uzbekistan’s state postal service, even though Germany does not authorise the service to operate domestically. International mail is subject to fewer checks than regular exports because it is processed quickly and in large volumes under simplified customs procedures. The system is said to be run by Dimitri V., former managing director of RusPost GmbH, the German branch of Russia’s state postal service. Customs raided the company in August 2024, but the investigation yielded no charges.
Ukraine Demands Stricter Sanctions Enforcement
Ukraine’s presidential envoy for sanctions policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said he was unsurprised by the findings and criticized Europe for failing to close such loopholes. “Nobody is doing enough, if you look at the number of cases,” he told Euronews in Berlin.
Vlasiuk is touring European countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, to push for tougher enforcement. He outlined three priorities: stronger financial sanctions, preventing Western components from reaching Russia, and decisive action against Russia’s shadow fleet. He noted that Western components have been used in many of the 50,000+ Shahed drone attacks launched by Russia and warned that alternative payment methods, like cryptocurrencies, make sanctions easier to bypass.
Shadow Fleet Continues to Operate
Russia’s shadow fleet remains central to sanctions evasion, transporting oil and other commodities using old, often underinsured tankers registered under changing or unclear flags of convenience. These registrations exploit weak oversight, low fees, and minimal safety or insurance requirements.
Despite EU sanctions targeting over 600 ships, around 70% remain active, according to Vlasiuk. France recently seized the tanker Grinch in the western Mediterranean, alleging it sailed under a false flag in violation of sanctions. On 26 January, Germany and 13 other EU states announced that vessels in the Baltic and North Sea operating under multiple or false flags would be treated as stateless. Ships will now only be allowed to sail with valid documentation, proper communication with authorities, and compliance with maritime safety laws, though enforcement measures and penalties remain unspecified.
