Analysts note that from February 2022 to November 2024, the Russian Federation imported titanium ore and metal products worth over $275 million from Europe and the United States. Despite the sanctions, at least 59,000 tons of titanium raw materials reached Russia during this period.
This is reported by Finway
Titanium as a Key Resource for the Russian Military Industry
The imported titanium is widely used in the production of Russian military equipment. It is estimated that this volume of raw materials would be sufficient to manufacture approximately 2,200 Su-35 fighter jets, in which titanium accounts for 40% of the weight, or over 17,500 Kalibr-type missiles, where titanium makes up 45% of the weight.
“Together, Ukraine’s allies provided 17% of all titanium supplies to the Russian Federation last year ($21.3 million). The share of titanium exports from Russia to countries condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine accounted for 72% of supplies (about $87 million).”
Sanction Loopholes and Lack of Restrictions
As of now, there is no official ban on trading titanium with Russia. The majority of export supplies do not violate the sanctions regime unless they are directly addressed to enterprises that are under restrictions. However, a significant portion of the imported products and raw materials reaches the Russian military-industrial complex through complex chains involving foreign and Russian companies.