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Maldives Becomes Key Route for Restricted Western Tech Bound for Russia
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The Maldives has reportedly become a transit hub for hundreds of millions of dollars in restricted goods moving to Russia, including microchips, aircraft parts and optical equipment with potential military applications.
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According to The Wall Street Journal on September 2, shipments from the US, Europe and China have passed through Velana International Airport in Malé before being sent to Moscow, often aboard Aeroflot flights.
The goods identified by the WSJ include dual-use microchips that can be used in missile guidance systems, optical instruments for satellites, and high-strength aerospace fasteners suitable for civilian aircraft, fighter jets and long-range rockets.
Russian trade data compiled by Import Genius showed imports from the Maldives surging from less than $7 million in 2021 to more than $630 million in 2022. The figure stood at $160 million in 2024, though the research firm said the real volume could be higher because Russia later restricted access to customs data.
The WSJ reported that local intermediaries help move cargo through Malé without it formally entering the country. New air waybills can then be issued before the goods continue to Moscow, sometimes removing references to the original supplier.
In one case, equipment sold by German company Kraemer Mining to a buyer in Kyrgyzstan was shipped through Malé and later placed on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow. The second set of shipping documents identified a Russian importer as the recipient and no longer referenced the German supplier.
Some shipments ultimately reached sanctioned Russian entities, including S7 Airlines and its maintenance subsidiaries, according to the investigation.
Freight Care, one of the Maldivian companies identified in the report, acknowledged handling transit cargo bound for Russia but denied knowingly shipping goods that could be used for weapons production. “We do not support any war,” Managing Director Hussain Waheed told the WSJ.
The US and European countries are pressing the Maldivian government to close the route, Western officials told the newspaper. Authorities are reportedly aware of the issue, while limited customs staffing and minimal physical inspections of transit cargo remain key vulnerabilities.
In July, Maldives Airports Company said Velana International Airport handled a record 126 tons of freight in a single day. Aeroflot accounted for 12% of outbound cargo in the first half of 2026.
The Maldivian government and Maldives Airports Company did not respond to the WSJ’s requests for comment.
The Maldives is not the only island jurisdiction linked to Russian sanctions evasion. A February 2026 investigation by Transparency International – Russia found that Russia conducted at least $8 billion in trade through companies registered in British Overseas Territories between February 2022 and January 2025, with more than 90% of the transactions linked to the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
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