Aircraft parts Many western firms' exports to India later reach Russia

British firms are among more than 100 western companies, including Boeing, to have exported aircraft parts to India that later reached Russia, according to customs data.

- Daniel Boffey Chris Matthews Ella Joyner

Analysis suggests products worth more than $50m (£40m) have passed through intermediaries in India to Russian airlines and other entities between January 2023 and September 2024.

The parts appear to have been transported in 700 cargoes containing items such as critical generators, sensors and propeller blades.

Most of the Russian importers appear to be civilian airlines, including Utair, which the EU says also acts as a defence contractor.

It received about a quarter of the cargoes.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the western companies nor that they were aware that their products were being moved on to Russia by the Indian firms.

The direct sale of aircraft parts to Russian airlines and firms has been banned by the UK and the EU and is heavily restricted by US authorities.

Western allies have struggled, however, to deal with the scores of intermediary firms that have moved in to prop up Russia with western-made goods and technology.

The UK government highlighted its concerns in January when issuing new guidance for exporters on "countering Russian sanctions evasion".

Firms were told to "undertake due diligence to ensure the end destination of these products is not Russia".