In the aggressor country, they want to imprison people for revealing schemes to circumvent international sanctions.
Points of attention
- Russia is considering imprisonment and large fines for individuals who reveal ways to circumvent international sanctions.
- The country faces a significant decline in export revenues due to the impact of powerful Western sanctions.
- Russia relies on logistical schemes and high-tech Western goods to circumvent international sanctions.
- The preservation of established production and technological chains is crucial for the strategic development of the Russian economy.
- The proposed bill targets websites, journalists, and bloggers who expose Russian sanctions evasion schemes.
What is known about threats of imprisonment for revealing ways of circumventing international sanctions by an aggressor country?
It is noted that the relevant draft law of the Russian government has already been sent for consideration by the State Duma.
According to the publication's journalists, Russia continues to rely on obtaining large quantities of high-tech Western goods to circumvent international sanctions.
The defense sector of the aggressor country needs Western microcircuits and other imported components.
To circumvent Western sanctions, Russia has created complex logistical schemes using intermediaries from third countries and a financial infrastructure for making payments.
Those who publicly disclose the routes of supply of these sanctioned goods, as well as the mechanisms for making payments for their purchase, are proposed to be sent to prison for up to seven years. Such people will also face large fines.
In the current conditions of external sanctions pressure, the preservation of established production and technological chains that ensure the strategic development of the Russian economy is of particular importance, the explanatory note to the bill states.
The authors of the document, in particular, complain about websites that publicly distribute customs data, as well as journalists and bloggers who publish investigations into Russian sanctions evasion schemes.
What is known about Russia's losses from Western sanctions?
The Central Bank of Russia officially confirmed that the aggressor country's economy faced a dramatic drop in export revenues at the end of 2024. The main reason is powerful Western sanctions.
What is important to understand is that last month, exporters exported goods worth $31.3 billion.
Against this background, their revenue fell by 19% year-on-year.
The Central Bank of the Russian Federation reports that of this amount, $25.7 billion left the country to pay for imports.
As a result, the net inflow from foreign trade (trade surplus) shrank to $5.6 billion — the lowest figure in the last 5 years.
According to economists, if we take into account exports and imports of services, in December 2024 the Russian economy earned only $2 billion in trade surplus — in fact, it is negligible.
