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UK Bought $50 Million Worth of Russian Planes Despite Sanctions, Government Launches Probe
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The UK government is investigating whether a $50 million aircraft purchase from Russia violated its sanctions regime, The Observer reported on November 9.
According to official trade data, British firms imported $105 million worth of Russian goods in the year to June 2025—a 21 percent increase from the previous year. Nearly half of that sum came from aircraft purchases, despite bans on importing Russian aviation technology and products that generate significant revenues for Moscow.
Officials at the Department for Business and Trade have not identified which companies made the purchases or confirmed whether the transactions breached sanctions. A government spokesperson said noncompliance “is an offence punishable through large financial penalties or even criminal prosecution,” urging anyone aware of violations to report them, according to The Observer.
The imports appear to be the first aircraft deliveries from Russia to the UK since sanctions were imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year, reports surfaced that British-made aircraft parts exported to India had later been re-exported to Russia, The Observer wrote.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller criticized the government, warning of “serious security concerns” over Russian planes entering the UK. “Under this government’s watch, Britain has imported more Russian goods and paid tens of millions to buy Moscow’s planes,” he said. “The British public will be appalled the UK is continuing to fill Putin’s war chest.”
Previously, it was reported that the United Kingdom has delivered a new shipment of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine to support continued long-range strikes inside Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to Bloomberg, the delivery of an unspecified number of missiles was made to ensure Kyiv maintains sufficient stockpiles through the winter months, when London expects Russia to intensify attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
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