Investigation reveals €1.5 billion timber trade from Russia and Belarus to EU since 2022

An undercover investigation by the British non-profit organization Earthsight has revealed widespread laundering of Russian and Belarusian timber into the EU in breach of sanctions put in place in response to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. 'Blood timber' with a retail value of over €1.5bn is estimated to have entered the EU since sanctions took effect in July 2022. Twenty container-loads continue to arrive every day. "The Russian military profits directly from timber sales, and Russia is among the largest producers of wood in the world. The EU sanctioned wood imports from Russia and its ...