Searching for smugglers, the investigation instead uncovered how new technologies may be supercharging the virtual front of the war in Europe’s east.
Nearly four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU has introduced some of the strictest sanctions in its history — aimed at crippling the Russian economy and stifling the war effort. But in response, Moscow has developed ways to skirt the sanctions and limit the impact on its citizens.
On social media, dozens of Russian-language groups claim to help Russians evade sanctions and import luxury goods. They are open and easily accessible — publicly flouting the EU sanctions to thousands of followers.
This investigation sought to use open-source reporting to catch them at it — tracking the trade in real time. Along the way, it uncovered a deeper mystery, one of stolen identities, crypto trading, paid actors and AI-altered media.
“We sent the footage to A.I. experts who confirmed the film was manipulated. The channel had taken the original footage – filmed in his Russian office six years earlier – and put fake audio on top, with his lips artificially altered to match the script.”https://t.co/VFHfG6Qnsi pic.twitter.com/xqnmJTafxn
— Airwars (@airwars) November 7, 2025