Russia uses Maldives airport in Malé as sanctions-evasion transit hub, WSJ investigation finds
A Wall Street Journal investigation alleges that Russia is using the international airport in Malé as a transit point to import sanctioned and dual-use goods from the US, Europe, and China. Each morning, an Aeroflot flight lands at Malé, where local intermediaries help process customs before cargo is reloaded onto Aeroflot flights to Moscow. Some shipments reportedly reach sanctioned Russian entities, including S7 Airlines.
Key points
- Russia uses Malé international airport as a transit hub to import sanctioned and dual-use goods from the US, Europe, and China, according to a WSJ investigation.
- Each morning, an Aeroflot commercial flight lands at Malé; local intermediaries process customs and cargo is reloaded onto Aeroflot flights to Moscow.
- Goods transiting the Maldives include microchips potentially usable in missile guidance, optical instruments for tracking, and aerospace rivets and bolts.
- Some cargo is delivered to sanctioned Russian entities, including S7 Airlines and its maintenance subsidiaries.
- Goods often receive minimal customs processing and may not leave the airport; new air waybills can omit the original seller and name a different Russian importer.
- Russian import data compiled by Import Genius show imports from the Maldives rising from under $7 million in 2021 to over $630 million in 2022, and approximately $160 million in 2024.
- Maldives official customs data show negligible direct exports to Russia from 2022 to 2025.
- The Maldives government and Maldives Airports Company declined to comment on the alleged scheme.
Why it matters
The investigation describes a specific transshipment route that allows Western-restricted goods, including components usable in missiles and military systems, to reach Russian end-users despite sanctions. Some of that cargo is delivered to sanctioned Russian companies such as S7 Airlines. Maldives Airports Company, the state-owned airport operator, posted record profits in 2024, reportedly the country's most profitable state enterprise, raising questions about commercial incentives. The sharp divergence between Maldivian customs statistics and Russian-side import data illustrates how difficult sanctions-evasion flows are to track, even for governments applying the pressure.
What happened
According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, Russia is using Malé's international airport as a transit hub to bring restricted goods into Russia from the US, Europe, and China. Each morning, an Aeroflot commercial flight lands at Malé. Local intermediaries working with Russian-linked logistics firms process customs for cargo that may not physically leave the airport; a new air waybill is created that can omit the original seller and name a different Russian importer. The cargo is then reloaded onto Aeroflot flights to Moscow. Among the goods identified are microchips potentially usable in missile guidance systems, optical instruments, and aerospace rivets and bolts. Some shipments reportedly go to sanctioned entities, including S7 Airlines and its maintenance subsidiaries. In May 2024, German firm Kraemer Mining sold approximately €9,000 of equipment to a Kyrgyz company; the cargo was shipped from Germany to Malé and then reloaded onto an Aeroflot flight to Moscow, with the new waybill naming a Russian importer in Krasnoyarsk. Maldives Airports Company reportedly reported a record daily cargo transit volume of 126 tonnes in July 2024 and posted a record profit in 2024, becoming the country's most profitable state-owned company. The Maldives government and Maldives Airports Company declined to comment.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage frames the Maldives transit scheme as concrete evidence that Russia is successfully bypassing Western sanctions. The outlets emphasise the dual-use character of the goods moving through Malé — microchips potentially usable in missile guidance, optical instruments for tracking, and aerospace fasteners — and the delivery of cargo to sanctioned Russian companies including S7 Airlines. They highlight the scale of the alleged evasion, with hundreds of millions of dollars in Russian imports reportedly routed through the Maldives, and portray Maldives Airports Company as commercially benefiting from the circumvention.
Where reporting differs
Maldives official customs statistics show virtually no exports to Russia between 2022 and 2025 (for example, about $2,300 for tuna and $25 for leaflets/brochures). Russian-side trade data compiled by the US research firm Import Genius show imports from the Maldives rising from under $7 million in 2021 to over $630 million in 2022, and approximately $160 million in 2024. Import Genius researcher William George noted that the 2024 figures likely understate true trade volume because Russian authorities appeared to begin censoring some trade data in 2024 and fully blocked access in early 2025.
Background
Russian citizens are the second-largest group of tourists visiting the Maldives, after Chinese nationals. Russian authorities reportedly began censoring some trade data in 2024 and blocked access in early 2025, complicating outside verification of import flows. Western officials say the Maldives is under increasing US and European pressure over its role as a sanctions transit point, partly because local customs capacity is limited and transit cargo is typically not physically inspected. The WSJ investigation is based on air waybills, cargo manifests, emails between logistics companies, and interviews with Western officials.