Reuters reported this information, citing data from Russian customs.
Between February and July 2023, about 160,000 tons of coal arrived in Turkey from the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Three coal producers, mentioned in customs data, confirmed to Reuters that they supplied coal from these regions to Turkey during this time.
Unlike the United States and the European Union, Turkey did not limit trade with Russia or the areas of Ukraine controlled by Moscow.
Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Turkey, a NATO member that supports Kyiv's efforts against Russia, has consistently acknowledged Ukraine's territorial integrity. Ankara played a significant role in facilitating an agreement between the conflicting countries that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea.
Data from a trade data provider, as seen by Reuters, showed that coal from at least 10 producers entered Turkey between February and July. Turkey was the primary destination for coal from these regions, accounting for 95% of the deliveries during this period.
Reuters also reported that the coal sellers are registered in Russia and the annexed territories of Ukraine, according to the Spark database of Russian companies. Customs records show that the buyers were companies registered in Hong Kong, the UAE, and offshore locations such as Belize and the British Virgin Islands. No Turkish companies were on the list.
Although commercial trade data do not provide a complete picture of how coal was exported, they do indicate that some coal passed through the southern Russian port city of Rostov and some through the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, which has rail connections to Donetsk and Luhansk.
The authorities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, established by Russia, as well as the Ukrainian government, did not comment on coal exports. The European Commission also declined to comment.
Sanctions imposed by the United States on February 21, 2022, just three days before Russia invaded Ukraine, prohibit the import of goods from or export to the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (LPR). Two days later, the European Union introduced measures, including a ban on imports of goods from these regions.
Turkey does not have such restrictions. The United States has imposed sanctions on companies, including some from Turkey, that it alleges are supporting Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
In April, Reuters reported that a Chinese company bought copper alloy ingots worth at least $7.4 million from a business located in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine.
Additionally, on August 19, it was reported that Russian companies involved in the production of missile launchers, armored vehicles, and strategic bombers received tens of thousands of deliveries from China.