Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Western Countries have imposed sanctions on Russia in order to make weaken its economy and political influence. Russia sanctions include restrictions on supplying aircraft parts and MRO services to Russian airlines.
However, according to reports, the scenario is very different as Russia is importing essential Western-made aircraft parts through intermediaries – particularly based in India.
In March 2022, when Russian missiles struk Kyiv, major aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing cut their supplies to Russia and its airlines. Airbus said, “Following international rules, we have stopped supporting Russian airlines and sending spare parts to Russia.” Boeing made a similar announcement too, reinforcing its compliance with sanctions from the US, UK, and EU.
Even though it’s been three years since the full invasion started, and strict sanctions for selling aircraft parts to Russia, aircraft parts are still reaching Russian airlines through indirect routes. A study by Investigate Europe found that parts from Boeing, Airbus’s subsidiary Satair, Italian company Superjet International (connected to Leonardo), and over 100 other suppliers from Europe and the US still ended up in Russia through middlemen in India.
What the Data Shows
Investigators tracked more than 700 shipments, worth over $50 million, from Western companies to India, and then to Russian airlines and businesses, between January 2023 and September 2024. These shipments included important parts like generators, sensors, propeller blades, and cockpit displays, as well as smaller items like screws, bolts, and filters.
Moreover, over 40% of the shipments to Russian companies originated from the US, while about a third came from European suppliers. Previous reports have pointed to middlemen in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China, but this new investigation shared with media in 11 countries shows that India has become a crucial transit hub for Russia’s struggling aviation industry.
Some of the Indian companies involved were flagged by the US last year for violating the sanctions.
Aerotrust Aviation
On a quiet street in Delhi, between a beauty salon and a car repair shop, Aerotrust Aviation works from a small office. Their slogan says, “We deliver the best.” What they deliver, according to records, are aircraft parts – mostly to Russia.
Aerotrust was established in late 2021 and quickly became part of the Russian market. Since January 2023, they have sent about $7 million worth of parts to Russia, with 80% of the parts traced back to Western companies. Their main customers appear to be Aeroflot, Russia’s flag carrier alongside Pobeda Airlines and Rossiya Airlines.
The Russian flag carrier has struggled to maintain its fleet due to global sanctions. In 2023, about 15 shipments from Boeing went to Aerotrust, and most of them were later sent to Russian buyers, including Aeroflot.
Ascend Aviation
Boeing has shipped at least 80 shipments to India since 2023, many of which were later sent to Russia, either in full or in part. Major portion of these shipments went through Ascend Aviation, another Indian middleman. Several components including valves, fasteners, fuel sealants, and even aircraft batteries were shipped to Ascend, which then sent them to Russia.
Moreover, records show that Airbus’s subsidiary Satair also sent 12 shipments to Ascend between September 2023 and May 2024. All these shipments ended up with Russian buyers, including Aeroflot and Ural Airlines.
In October 2024, the US government imposed sanctions on Ascend and its two leaders for helping to avoid sanctions. They were accused of sending hundreds of shipments to Russian companies, including US-made aircraft parts. Records show that Ascend’s revenue jumped from 72 million Rupees in 2021 to 985 million Rupees (€10.8 million) in 2023, when their sales to Russia increased. US officials say these sales included over $200,000 worth of important parts.
These sanctions are part of a larger effort by the US to weaken Russia’s situation by targeting middlemen. Three of the 12 Indian companies that Investigate Europe found sending Western aircraft parts to Russia were added to the sanctions list.
Other Key Intermediaries
Agrim Aviation
Another Indian company flagged by the US for violations, Agrim Aviation was found as the supplier of spare parts to a Russian military company. Between January 2023 and September 2024, more than 160 shipments from Western companies went through Agrim to Russia, according to customs data.
Most of these shipments went to Utair, a Russian airline which has been sanctioned by the EU in December 2024 for helping the Russian military. The EU said Utair planes had been “carrying soldiers to the war zone” and flying within parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia.
The shipments included generators from a Dutch helicopter company, propeller blades from a UK supplier, and six engines from Florida.
Heli Air Monaco
Besides Indian intermediaries, parts worth nearly $250,000 appear to have been exported by Heli Air Monaco, a boutique charter service based in Monaco. Known for ferrying passengers between airports in the Côte D’Azur and offering exclusive wine tours, the company seems to have found a new revenue stream since the Ukraine war: selling helicopter parts, many made by Airbus, to India.
Customs data indicates that Heli Air Monaco exported 10 shipments from France to Agrim Aviation, including booster pumps needed to move fuel to an aircraft’s engines in January 2024. All of these parts later went to Utair Engineering, part of the airline sanctioned by the EU that same year.
However, Heli Air Monaco denied any wrongdoing but did not provide further details despite multiple attempts to contact the company.
The Challenges of Enforcing Sanctions
Figuring out if sanctions are being avoided is very hard – a challenge some companies take advantage of, according to Maria Shagina from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“Some companies really don’t know where their products end up; others use this as an excuse to get around sanctions. Poor visibility of the supply chain, especially in the second and third tiers, is a big issue,” she said.
Since 2022, places in Asia and the Middle East have become centers for bypassing sanctions, with authorities constantly trying to shut down ways of sending aircraft parts to Russia. Multiple circumvention hubs have emerged with authorities playing a game of whack-a-mole to shut down routes funneling aircraft parts to Russia.
High-Priority Goods Reaching Russia
The trade data analyzed by Investigate Europe included more than 200 items marked with customs codes that are part of a joint G7 list of “Common High Priority” goods. These items are considered by authorities to be crucial for “Russian military systems” or have been found on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Moreover, the parts included things like navigation equipment, generators, radars, and various small mechanical parts. The original sellers of these parts, according to customs data, included companies like Airbus subsidiary Satair, Boeing, and Gulfstream, among others.
Russia Sanctions: Responses from Companies and Governments
Airbus gave a short reply, saying, “Airbus and Satair are following the laws and regulations and are actively working to prevent any circumvention of sanctions and diversion of goods.”
Superjet International said it follows all the rules and “has not sent any shipments to Russia” since the sanctions began. The company added that all its contracts include a “no export to Russia” clause and that it is looking into the findings. It has also temporarily stopped sales to Allestro Aero Solutions.
Despite sanctions, Russian airlines continue to receive necessary aircraft parts through Indian middleman. While Western companies claim that there is loopholes for shipping the essential aircraft components to Russia despite sanctions.
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