The EU is investigating a scheme to relabel Russian oil

Millions of barrels of Russian fuel are entering the EU to bypass sanctions after changing the labeling in Turkey.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has launched an investigation into a fraudulent scheme that allows countries such as Turkey to export sanctioned Russian oil to the EU under a different brand name. This was reported by Politico on Tuesday, November 5 with reference to two sources.

The scheme became possible thanks to a bypass in Brussels sanctions, which allows the import of "mixed" fuel into the EU, if it is labeled as "non-Russian".

According to the investigation, the loophole brought Moscow an additional €3 billion from just three Turkish ports just 12 months after the introduction of sanctions against Russian oil imports in 2023.

According to the publication, this practice demonstrates the ways in which Russia circumvents EU sanctions, providing almost half of the Kremlin's income.

Also, the investigation is currently taking place against the background of worsening relations between Brussels and Ankara due to its Russian initiatives.