The main creator of the scheme to circumvent anti-Russian sanctions, Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, is an e-resident of Estonia. This allows him to have maximum access to the EU financial system, as well as to receive various European tax benefits. And this is despite the fact that thanks to Ambani's money, the Kremlin was able to rearm its army and is now trying to dictate its insane terms.
People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Mykhailo Sokolov appealed to the SBU with a demand to check the activities of the businessman and his Reliance Industries corporation, as well as to submit the issue of sanctions for consideration by the National Security and Defense Council.
Indeed, as the media note, the contrast of the situation is striking: Estonia is considered one of Ukraine's most loyal allies, having provided military aid amounting to over 1.4% of its GDP, but at the same time continues to provide tax and business privileges to a person whose oil deals directly fuel the Russian budget.
Reliance Industries has become a key player in supplying Russian oil to the global market. The company signed a contract with Rosneft worth up to $13 billion annually, providing for daily deliveries of up to half a million barrels to India, which accounts for half of the Russian state company's sea shipments. The scheme works through intermediaries in Hong Kong and the Persian Gulf countries: Russian oil is purchased at a discount, processed at Indian refineries, and enters the US and EU markets disguised as Indian petroleum products. According to international media, profits from these operations settle in the accounts of pro-Putin traders who purchase weapons and technologies under Western sanctions.
The scale of the problem is impressive. Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the share of Russian oil in India's imports was less than one percent. By 2024, this figure had grown to 42%.
"Ukraine must act principled against anyone who helps the aggressor," Sokolov said, noting the cynicism in the fact that despite the obviousness of his role in circumventing sanctions, Ambani has not yet been included in any international sanctions list.
Recall that earlier, the director of the "Institute of World Policy" Yevhen Magda noted in his op-ed: "Ukraine, suffering from Russian barbaric attacks, must demonstrate political will and impose sanctions against Mukesh Ambani. Thus, official Kyiv will not only set an example for Western partners but also send a strong signal to Narendra Modi about the harm of balancing between business interests and humanism. 'Bloody money does not bring happiness' – such a phrase can be found in many Bollywood films. It's time to test it in practice."