How banned goods slip through Europe
Russia has been using a logistics hub in Berlin to sidestep EU sanctions, funneling restricted goods to Moscow through international mail that faces lighter scrutiny, according to an investigation by German newspaper Bild.
Reporters tracked test parcels fitted with GPS devices containing sanctioned items. The packages passed through a logistics hall near Berlin Brandenburg Airport without interference, then travelled onward via Poland and Belarus before reaching Moscow.
The shipments reportedly carried labels from Uzbekistan’s state postal service, despite the fact that Germany’s Federal Network Agency does not authorise that operator to work in the country. Because international mail is processed quickly and in huge volumes under simplified customs rules, it often avoids the tighter controls applied to standard exports.
The network is said to be run by the former head of RusPost GmbH, the German arm of Russia’s state postal service, identified by Bild as Dimitri V. German customs searched the company’s Berlin offices in August 2024 on suspicion of sanctions violations, but the probe ultimately led nowhere.
Ukraine calls for tougher enforcement
Ukraine’s presidential envoy for sanctions policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said the findings came as no shock. Speaking to Euronews in Berlin, he argued that enforcement across Europe remains too weak.
“Nobody is doing enough, if you look at the number of cases,” he said, adding that Ukraine routinely gathers evidence of sanctions evasion and shares it with its partners. According to Vlasiuk, systems designed to bypass Western restrictions are well understood by Ukrainian authorities.
Currently touring several EU countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, Vlasiuk is pushing for stronger action. He outlined three main priorities: tighter financial sanctions, stopping Western-made components from reaching Russia, and cracking down harder on Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
He warned that Western parts have been found in many of the more than 50,000 Shahed drone attacks launched by Russia, and said alternative payment methods such as cryptocurrencies are helping actors get around existing bans. While sanctions are hurting Russia’s economy, he argued, the pressure still isn’t strong enough.
The shadow fleet still on the move
Russia’s shadow fleet has become a central concern in the sanctions debate. The country continues to dodge oil and commodity restrictions by using aging, poorly insured tankers that often sail under flags of convenience or with unclear registration.
Although the EU has sanctioned more than 600 vessels, Vlasiuk said around 70% are still active and transporting Russian oil. He believes the bloc should consider physical measures to stop them.
France recently seized the tanker Grinch in the western Mediterranean, suspecting the vessel—part of the shadow fleet—of sailing under a false flag and breaching sanctions. Earlier this month, Germany and 13 other EU countries issued a joint warning about ships operating in the Baltic and North Sea under multiple or fake flags.
Under the new declaration, vessels without valid documentation, proper communication with authorities, or compliance with safety and maritime laws risk being treated as stateless. However, the statement stops short of detailing how the rules will be enforced or what penalties ships could face.
