Western duty-free shops continue to operate at airports of sanctioned oligarchs

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 05. 11:02

Although many Western companies have pulled out of Russia in the wake of the war in Ukraine, some global players are still present in the duty-free shops at Russian airports. According to an investigative report by Finnish broadcaster Yle, these shops are often located at airports whose owners are on the sanctions lists of the European Union and the United States.

In the shadow of billionaire oligarchs

Swiss-based Avolta – which also operates at Helsinki Airport – also operates duty-free shops at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports. These airports are owned by, among others, sanctioned individuals such as Arkady Rotenberg and Alexander Ponomarenko, who are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sheremetyevo is majority-owned by TPS Avia Holding, which is controlled by Rotenberg, Ponomarenko and Skorobogatko. Despite the sanctions, Avolta’s Russian subsidiaries have remained active, handling their exports through their Cypriot holding company and Lithuanian and Latvian logistics companies. Between 2022 and 2024, around 54 million euros worth of luxury goods were shipped to Russia.

Luxury goods arrive through a backdoor

Under European sanctions, luxury goods worth more than 300 euros are prohibited from being exported to Russia. According to customs documents obtained by Yle, both Avolta and the German Gebr. Heinemann complied with this regulation: the value of their exported products remained below this.

However, reports indicate that these goods – such as perfumes, expensive drinks and branded accessories – are still available in large quantities in Russian duty-free shops, even in stores owned by companies also owned by sanctioned oligarchs. Gebr. For example, Heinemann sold goods worth 8.5 million euros to Imperial Duty Free, which is an interest of Ponomarenko and Rotenberg.