While Western sanctions restrict Russia’s access to aircraft parts, a way to circumvent them has involved a Lithuanian company, according to an investigation by the Russian publication Important Stories.
After analysing customs data, the publication has found that at least 18 billion roubles (around 180 million euros) worth of original Boeing and Airbus spare parts were imported into Russia between March 2022 and March 2023. Most of them entered Russia via the United Arab Emyrates, China and Turkey, but some were also sold by Right Direction Aero, a Lithuanian company.
I FLY Airlines, a Russian airline, bought aircraft parts, some made by European and American manufacturers such as Boeing and worth more than 145 million roubles (1.5 million euros), from the Lithuanian company. The parts included temperature sensors, toilets, bolts, nuts etc.
Pavel Chalapov, director and owner of Right Direction Aero, told the Russian publication he sold the parts to the Kyrgyz company Cargoline, not Russia’s I FLY Airlines. The former was registered one month after the start of the war in Ukraine when Russian airlines were banned by Airbus, Boeing, and other parts manufacturers.
Although documents indicate that the spare parts were shipped to Kyrgyzstan, customs records show that they actually went to Russia.
Chalapov says Azamat Alkadyrov, the head of Cargoline, assured him he had no links with the sanctioned markets and Russia, and the plane parts were sold to the company on the condition that it would not be allowed to re-export them to Russia.
Irina Šaltis, an accountant working for the Lithuanian company, told LRT RADIO that her company terminated cooperation after suspicions about the Kyrgyz company were raised.
“All I know is that there were some suspicions and all relations were terminated, I don’t know the rest. We have no Russian companies or any money from Russia. There is not a single Russian company in our accounts,” she said.
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