FT explained how Russians obtain Western brands despite sanctions.

According to Ukrainian media, Russian billionaires are finding ways to circumvent sanctions to acquire luxury goods. They use the services of intermediaries, resellers, and smugglers who send their purchases to countries where sanctions do not apply. Customs records indicate that premium products, including Bottega Veneta bags, are being imported into Russia from Dubai via China. Additionally, Russians are actively using the services of 'personal shoppers.'

According to the newspaper, buyers in Europe send dozens of packages to Russia weekly, earning thousands of euros in the process. Italian sellers supplying goods to Russia ignore information about the final destination. It is also worth noting that some Western brands create special lines of products with prices that comply with sanction restrictions.

Latvian customs officials have already confiscated 60 consignments of luxury items attempting to be delivered to Russia with false declarations.

Economist Yuliya Pavytska stated that circumventing sanctions reduces the impact of economic pressure on Russia. However, intermediaries and brands participating in such schemes may be held accountable for violating export controls.

It was previously known that Russian billionaires connected to Vladimir Putin continue to profit from exporting goods to the West, bypassing sanctions. They use a so-called 'loophole' that allows companies where the share of stocks held by sanctioned individuals is less than 50% to operate in EU markets. Billionaires like Gennady Timchenko, Alisher Usmanov, and Oleg Deripaska are particularly profiting from trade with the European Union.

U.S. President Joe Biden is considering the possibility of imposing new serious sanctions against the Russian energy sector.