Sanctioned vehicles import through Georgia
Sky News has published an investigation showing that, despite Western sanctions, luxury cars are still reaching Russia through South Caucasus countries, including Georgia.
The report indicates that while exports from the West to Russia have declined since sanctions were imposed, exports to neighboring countries like Georgia have rapidly increased.
The Sky News team spent two days on-site and uncovered a scheme where European luxury cars are registered in Armenia, receiving transit plates there. Georgian transport companies then deliver these vehicles to Russia via the “Lars” checkpoint at the Georgia-Russia border, with most drivers unaware of how the cars made it to Georgia.
Journalists noted that in some cases, transporters are advised to say at the border that they are traveling to Kyrgyzstan via Russia. Upon reaching the Russian side, a group is waiting to take the vehicles to their final destination.
“However, while UK carmakers and authorities insist they are doing everything they can to clamp down on these unofficial trade routes, perhaps the most startling takeaway from our investigation is that there on the ground in Georgia, no one is trying to hide what’s happening. Everyone knows these high-end European cars aren’t supposed to be going into Russia, yet they are passing over the border one by one, every day. Everyone knows what’s happening, but no one is doing anything to stop it,” says Sky News.
Sky News highlights that they identified cases of transporting not only sanctioned vehicles but also other goods crucial for the war, such as electronic components and radars. However, the channel focused specifically on cars because they are impossible to conceal, and the media can provide visual evidence of sanction evasion through video and photos.
According to the journalists, the Russian economy remains strong, with no shortages of essential or non-essential goods in Moscow. Caucasian countries, such as Georgia and Azerbaijan, have experienced a significant economic boost by becoming unofficial trade channels.
“Everyone has benefited—except for the Ukrainians,” conclude the authors of the investigation.