Investigation finds Russia built global network to obtain Finnish-made engine parts for “shadow fleet” despite sanctions

Despite international sanctions, Russia has created a worldwide network enabling it to procure spare parts for engines made by Finnish company Wärtsilä, according to a report from the public broadcaster Yle. The outlet’s investigations unit, Yle MOT, reported that Wärtsilä components worth about €6 million ($6.5 million) were shipped to Russia between 2023 and 2025.

Products made by Wärtsilä are used by “shadow fleet” vessels involved in transporting Russian oil, the investigation said.

One of the main intermediaries identified by Yle is Arnika Trade LLC, based in Tbilisi, Georgia, which the outlet said shipped Wärtsilä engine spare parts worth more than €1 million to Russia. Arnika’s sole client is the Russian company Elite Shipping, which cooperates with Prime Shipping, one of Russia’s largest carriers of oil and petroleum products.

In total, the network created by Russia includes dozens of intermediary companies. Nearly 60 Russian firms have purchased Wärtsilä spare parts since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There are more than 100 sellers involved, most of them based in China, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey.

Commenting on the investigation, Wärtsilä’s director of corporate and legal affairs Nora Steiner-Forsberg said:

“Unfortunately, there are actors in the market who circumvent sanctions. This is a common problem for all companies operating internationally.”

Wärtsilä officially left the Russian market shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.