Central Asian states are a key conduit for Russia’s sanctions-busting trade, enabling “logistical and financial support for diversion networks” dedicated to procuring goods for the Russian war machine, a watchdog group has documented.
A report, titled Russia’s Sanction Evasion Research 2025-2026, published by the Washington, DC-based Center for Global Civic and Political Strategies (CGCPS), notes that “Russia has demonstrated significant adaptive capacity in mitigating the operational impact of Western sanctions,”…