Dozens of companies and one server: a technical error revealed a $90 billion Russian sanctions circumvention scheme

Journalists have uncovered a scheme to circumvent sanctions that allowed Russia to export at least $90 billion worth of oil.

The network was identified through a technical error — dozens of companies used the same private email service, the FT reports.

Thus, the publication suggests that 48 formally independent companies with different legal addresses may be operating as a single structure. These companies helped to hide the origin of Russian oil, in particular that owned by the state-owned company Rosneft.

The scheme came into effect after the United States imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil in October 2025.

According to the journalists, 442 domains used a single email server — mx.phoenixtrading.ltd, which indicates a common IT infrastructure and back office, despite the formal independence of the companies.

Among them is the little-known company Redwood Global Supply, which after the introduction of sanctions became the largest exporter of Russian crude oil.

According to the FT, companies in the network often exist for only a few months, after which they are liquidated and replaced by new ones. Some of the supplies are carried out through third countries, in particular the UAE. This oil is usually indicated in documents under general names such as export blend, without specifying the grade.

The companies also use tankers associated with Russian suppliers and change the names of ships and operators to make it difficult to trace the origin of the cargo.

In addition, the investigation indicates the network’s connection with Azerbaijani businessmen, in particular Etibar Eyyub, who is under sanctions by the UK and the EU.

Earlier, USM reported that the Defense Ministry team plans to actively work on blocking the Russian “shadow fleet”.