The island nation of the Maldives, known primarily as a popular tourist destination, has become a conduit for goods banned by Western sanctions to Russia. This is according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, whose authors analyzed shipping documents, cargo manifests and correspondence between logistics companies.
According to the publication, goods worth hundreds of millions of dollars are transported to Russia through the airport in Male, the country's capital. They include aircraft parts, electronic components and dual-use products that can be used in both civilian and military industries. Specifically, the article mentions microchips, optical instruments, and high-strength fasteners for aircraft.
The scheme, according to the authors of the investigation, works thanks to the transit status of the cargo. Every morning, a Russian Aeroflot plane arrives in Male. Local intermediaries and logistics companies linked to Russia help with customs clearance of the cargo, after which it is reloaded onto a plane bound for Moscow. However, the goods do not officially enter the domestic market of the Maldives.
The documents show that after arrival in Male, new air waybills can be issued for the cargo. They no longer list the original seller of the goods, but instead list a Russian company as the recipient.
"The goods are never classified as imports and undergo only minimal customs checks before being transferred between planes," the publication writes, citing documents and sources.
One example is a shipment in May 2024. The German company Kraemer Mining sold equipment worth approximately 9,000 euros to a buyer in Kyrgyzstan. The cargo initially arrived from Germany in Male, where it was processed by the local company Freight Care. A few days later, the equipment was sent to Moscow on an Aeroflot flight. The new waybill no longer mentioned the German manufacturer, but listed a Russian company based in Krasnoyarsk as the recipient.
According to journalists, the scale of the trade significantly exceeds officially registered exports from the Maldives to Russia. Maldivian customs statistics for 2022-2025 show only approximately $2,300 in tuna exports and $25 in printed materials. Meanwhile, Russian trade data shows that imports from the Maldives in 2022 exceeded $630 million, compared to less than $7 million the previous year.
The authors note that the actual volume may be even higher, as Russia began restricting access to trade statistics in 2024 and completely blocked it in early 2025.
According to Pavlo Shkurenko, an expert at the Kiev School of Economics, the Maldives’ history demonstrates the extensive network used to circumvent sanctions. "This shows that there are effective channels that extend far beyond the usual suspects," he said.
At the same time, the Maldives has economic incentives not to escalate relations with Russia. Russians are the second largest group of foreign tourists after Chinese citizens, and the local airport generates revenue from cargo handling, commercial fees and fuel sales.
According to a representative of Freight Care, the company does handle transit cargo from Male to Russia, but was not aware of shipments of goods that could be used to produce weapons. "We do not support any war," the company director said.
Meanwhile, Western authorities are increasing pressure on the Maldives to block this route. According to a WSJ source, local authorities are aware of the problem and are trying to solve it. However, limited customs resources and the lack of physical checks on transit cargo leave open opportunities for further circumvention of sanctions.