russia circumvents sanctions and obtains spare parts for its shadow fleet from a Finnish company

According to Ukrinform, this is stated in an investigation by Yle.

According to Yle MOT's investigative journalism department, between 2023 and 2025, russia received parts from Wärtsilä worth around €6 million.

Ships in the shadow fleet, which are involved in transporting russian oil and thus financing the war in Ukraine, also use these products from the Finnish company.

One of the key intermediaries is Arnika Trade LLC, located on the outskirts of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.

The company has shipped Wärtsilä engine parts worth over €1 million to russia. The countries of origin include China, the UAE, India and even the Maldives.

Arnika's only customer is the russian company Elite Shipping, which, in turn, cooperates with Prime Shipping, one of russia's largest transporters of oil and petroleum products.

The network created by russia includes dozens of intermediary companies. Nearly 60 russian firms have purchased Wärtsilä spare parts since the start of russia's war in Ukraine. There are over a hundred sellers, most of them from China, the UAE and Turkey.

Wärtsilä's Director of Corporate and Legal Affairs, Nora Steiner-Forsberg, told Yle that the company takes sanctions seriously.

‘Unfortunately, there are players in the market who circumvent sanctions. This is a common problem for all international companies,’ Steiner-Forsberg said.

Wärtsilä left the russian market shortly after the start of russia's war in Ukraine in 2022, and the company does not want its products to be sold to russia.

The company's contracts include a clause prohibiting customers from further exporting products to russia. Steiner-Forsberg declined to comment on whether Wärtsilä had taken action against any customers for violating the terms of the contract.

Source: Ukrinform, Yle