Our investigation into a major Belarusian carrier prompts reactions from Sweden and Ukraine
Following our joint investigation with SVT and Fundacja Reporterów, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is taking action. The carrier companies mentioned in the publication will no longer be used to transport their cargo.
Our investigation involved the transportation of medicines from the Swedish AstraZeneca factory to Russia. The delivery of goods was handled by the Polish company DSPL and the Kazakh company Tekhnobel. We have proved that they are connected with the large Belarusian carrier Jenty-Spedition. The European Union has prohibited transport companies from Belarus from operating on its territory because of their support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Jenty-Spedition does not operate directly within the EU, but rather through affiliated subcontractors.
Although AstraZeneca stated that the company did not violate any laws, regulations or sanctions, it nevertheless takes the information presented in our investigation very seriously.
“We have instructed our logistics provider that the subcontractors mentioned in the investigation may no longer be used for AstraZeneca’s transport operations within the EU. The provider has confirmed that this is now being implemented as quickly as possible, without jeopardising the delivery of life-saving medicines to patients”, the pharmaceutical company reassured SVT.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy of Ukraine, also responded to our joint investigation. He believes that circumvention of sanctions should be investigated.
“The people of Ukraine are bearing tremendous sacrifices. Seeing these victims alongside such schemes to circumvent sanctions is disappointing”, said Vlasiuk in a conversation with SVT journalists.
According to him, even if the case concerns pharmaceutical products that are not prohibited from being exported to Russia, the issue lies in the logistics involved. Vlasiuk observed that the same routes and supply chains could be exploited to circumvent sanctions when delivering microelectronics intended for Russian missiles and drones.
“Some of this information must, of course, be officially verified. We will send a request to the Swedish government proposing that they consider launching an official investigation. After all, we take the circumvention of sanctions very seriously. As far as I know, the Swedish government also takes it [the circumvention of sanctions] very seriously. And, naturally, we’d like to see some real action”, Vlasiuk stated.