The Maldives has emerged as a transit hub for hundreds of millions of dollars in Western goods bound for sanctioned Russian buyers, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. Goods including microchips, aerospace parts, optical equipment and other dual-use components are flown into Malé, where local logistics firms alter shipping documents and transfer the cargo directly onto Aeroflot flights to Moscow without formally entering the Maldives. Russian imports from the Maldives surged from less than $7 million in 2021 to more than $630 million in 2022, despite the Maldives having virtually no industrial base. Trade remained significant at $160 million in 2024, although Russian data has since been restricted. Source: WSJ