50,000 shipments of goods: India has become the main hub for Russia’s defense industry

Researchers have tracked approximately 50,000 sensitive and dual-use goods that have been shipped to Russia via India since 2022. This raises questions amid deepening trade ties between the UK and the EU with New Delhi.

This was reported by POLITICO, citing Dengi.ua.

How Imports of Western Goods to Russia via India Have Grown

Researchers at Strider analyzed customs data based on standardized commodity codes and identified European goods that were shipped from India to Russia - electronics, machinery, precision instruments, transportation equipment, metals, and electrical components.

From the start of the invasion through early 2025, exports of sensitive goods to Russia via India - originating from the United Kingdom - increased by 180%, from Switzerland by 131%, from Sweden by 455%, and from France by 98%, compared to the three-year period prior to the invasion.

Last year, French carbon fiber found its way to a Russian company identified as part of the country’s military-industrial complex - this material is used in the aerospace industry, drones, and missiles.

Why India Has Become a Transshipment Hub for Sanctioned Goods

David Vignot, Chief Intelligence Officer at Strider, noted that while the UK’s and the EU’s trade agreements with India offer significant economic opportunities, they also require governments and businesses to take a clear-eyed view of the competitive risks alongside these opportunities.

Nicholas Fenton, Deputy Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that this pattern has been repeating since 2022 and is likely to continue. According to him, ties between Russia and India date back to the Cold War - India remains one of Russia’s largest arms buyers, and Moscow is increasingly relying on Indian supply chains to support its military efforts.

Will it Be Possible to Stop Sanctions Circumvention via India?

Analysts warn that tightening controls will be difficult due to the complexity of global supply chains. Katya Bego, a senior research fellow in the Europe Program at Chatham House, noted that combating this is extremely difficult, as more and more goods are dual-use, and companies are constantly looking for new ways to avoid detection.

According to her, Europe has little desire to increase pressure on India as it seeks to diversify trade away from China, while effective oversight would require a much closer exchange of intelligence between governments and companies.