The scheme of illegal importation of luxury cars from Great Britain to the Russian Federation, bypassing sanctions, was revealed in Russia. According to recent reports, this "gray" scheme includes transit through the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Information about this scheme became the focus of the authorities after it was discovered that luxury cars such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and others were being illegally imported into Russia through post-Soviet countries, avoiding international sanctions.
Expensive British cars continue to be imported to Russia, despite the sanctions. The import was established by transit through Azerbaijan. This is evidenced by the results of an investigation conducted by Sky News.
As you know, the official import of cars to the Russian Federation from Great Britain has been stopped after the introduction of sanctions. However, journalists noticed that after that the demand for British cars in Azerbaijan increased sharply.
In 2023, cars from Great Britain were imported into this country by 1,860% more than 5 years before - in the amount of 273 million pounds ($348.7 million). This is compared to the volume of car deliveries to the Russian Federation before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, it is noted that, according to UN data, the volume of car exports from Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan to Russia has increased sharply. In the first case, we are talking mainly about British models, in the second - about German ones. The British government is concerned about similar "gray" schemes for the supply of cars to the Russian Federation through the post-Soviet countries to circumvent sanctions, especially since there is a separate ban on the import of luxury cars.
The average cost of British cars delivered to Azerbaijan is 106.7 thousand pounds ($135,500). Specific brands and models are not named, but it is known that Bentley, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin cars belong to this price segment.
Representatives of Rolls-Royce and Bentley deny direct deliveries of cars to the Russian Federation and declare their desire to comply with sanctions. In particular, the Rolls-Royce spokesman noted: "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has stopped the production and supply of cars for the Russian market at the end of February 2022 - before the introduction of international trade sanctions. In the meantime, the government has introduced far-reaching sanctions, which we fully comply with and support...If any new Rolls-Royce cars have been imported into Russia since the end of February 2022, this has been done without the knowledge or support of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.”
