Kremlin customer service: The Insider identifies the top 30 customs brokers facilitating sanctioned imports to Russia

Anyone who has dealt with customs clearance in Russia knows how much money and effort it can take for a business to import goods legally. As a result, customs brokers who help prepare the necessary documents and resolve unexpected issues during the importation process earn millions of dollars.

In 2024, Russian customs brokers helped clear sanctioned goods worth more than $4.4 billion. This figure applies only to products that both the EU and the U.S. had prohibited from being exported to Russia and which were produced in countries supporting Ukraine. Only shipments valued at more than $20,000 were counted in the figure, meaning the true total is markedly higher.

For example, customs broker Dzhamal Davitashvili works with numerous importing companies and, in 2024 alone, filed more than 25,000 customs declarations, covering $600 million worth of goods that were cleared and imported into Russia. These include machinery, electronics, and various equipment worth tens of millions of dollars. In the declarations filed by Davitashvili, the most frequently listed item is “multilayer printed circuits.” In addition to handling hardware, Davitashvili also helped process approximately 30 tons of brassieres worth around $5 million.

The infographic below shows 30 leading Russian brokerage firms that helped companies clear imports of foreign-made sanctioned equipment (restricted by both the U.S. and the EU).