April 10, 2023

A Sanctioned Flight


A Sanctioned Flight
Cessna 172 Skyhawk in Augsburg Airport. Curimedia | P H O T O G R A P H Y, Wikimedia Commons

Journalists from LRT, the largest media group in Lithuania, discovered a scheme in which a Russian entrepreneur bought planes in the EU, bypassing sanctions by acting through companies in Turkey and Italy.

The investigation began when a Cessna 172 plane registered in Denmark landed at the Palanga Airport in Lithuania for refueling. The ultimate destination of the route was Pskov, and the pilot on the plane was a Russian citizen with a Lithuanian residence permit. When the plane was stopped by Lithuanian authorities for a check, the pilot fled.

According to LRT, the plane was bought in Denmark by Turkish company Edermont Ltd, and the intermediary was the Italian company MAK Aviation Services. Both companies are headed by Russian citizen Evgeny Kabanov. In Russia, he is known as the owner of the company Sovremenniye Techonologii, which organizes flights, maintenance, and refueling in Russia and other countries and also provides services for the import of aircraft and spare parts for aircraft to Russia, bypassing sanctions. 

"When almost all borders are closed, and sanctions impede selling aircraft, but you need to buy a plane or helicopter, we have a solution. We will help you with any international transactions. If necessary, we will contact the seller and agree on the price and terms," reads the company’s Telegram channel

According to LRT, Lithuanian and Danish authorities have started an investigation.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the EU has banned planes owned or ordered by Russians from landing in or departing from Europe. The import of aircraft and spare parts for aircraft are also banned. What's more, the biggest international aircraft manufacturers have stopped activities in Russia.

This is not the first time that journalists have revealed schemes to circumvent the sanctions imposed on Russia. Earlier, The Insider reported about a company owned by a friend of Putin’s daughter, which was importing expensive wines under the guise of "samples for certification." And Vazhnie Istorii revealed a scheme in which Western companies were supplying Russia with components for drones.

You Might Also Like

The Moscow-City Laundromat
  • March 23, 2023

The Moscow-City Laundromat

Crypto exchanges in the main commercial district of Moscow transfer money to the UK anonymously.
A Year of Decline
  • December 31, 2022

A Year of Decline

Russia’s War on Ukraine is exacting deep and enduring economic and social costs on the country.
Lust for Almost-Wandering
  • November 03, 2022

Lust for Almost-Wandering

An airport in Anapa is selling a flight experience that promises everything but the travel.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955