Russian oil smuggling exposed: Financial Times finds 48 companies coordinated to move at least $90B worth of crude, bypassing sanctions on Rosneft

Almost 50 companies have been implicated in a coordinated effort to mask the origin of Russian crude, moving oil worth at least $90 billion, according to an investigation by the Financial Times.

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The network came to light due to an IT error, which revealed that 48 identified entities all shared a single private email server.

The operation includes firms and individuals linked to Rosneft, Russia’s top oil producer, and facilitated the concealment of Russian crude origins.

The Financial Times estimated the profits at $90 billion conservatively, noting that actual revenues may be significantly higher.

The investigation highlights that despite the United States imposing sanctions on Rosneft in October 2025, the smuggling activities intensified rather than decreased.

Since the sanctions, one company, Redwood Global Supply, has emerged as the largest exporter of Russian crude.

Redwood Global Supply was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in December 2025 along with 13 other entities and individuals connected to the Russian energy sector.

Some of the companies identified in the shared email server are already known to European Union sanctions authorities for involvement in opaque operations likely facilitating Russian crude sales.

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The investigation underscores the scale of global networks used to bypass sanctions and the ongoing challenges in enforcing restrictions on Russian energy exports.