As the EU tightens its sanctions grip on Moscow and its entities, the Maldives has emerged as an unexpected transit hub for goods headed to Russia.According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published on Tuesday, Sept. 1, documents, cargo records and interviews with anonymous Western officials indicate that Russia-linked logistics networks have used the Indian Ocean archipelago to move hundreds of millions of dollars in restricted goods.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Local intermediaries reportedly help transfer cargo arriving from the US, Europe and China onto daily Aeroflot flights from Malé, the country’s capital, to Moscow.“This shows there are effective channels that exist far outside of the usual suspects,” Pavlo Shkurenko, a sanctions researcher at the Kyiv School of Economics Institute said, referring to the route identified in the investigation.How the route from Malé to Moscow worksThe reported shipments begin with goods leaving suppliers in the US, Europe or China, often listed as being sold to buyers in third countries.From there, they are transported by commercial flights to Malé, where the cargo remains in the airport transit area rather than being formally imported into the Maldives.The WSJ reported that local companies, including Freight Care and Go Investment, help arrange the transfer of cargo through Velana International Airport.According to shipping documents and Western officials cited by the newspaper, the companies assist with paperwork, coordinate movement and help ensure the goods are transferred between incoming aircraft and Aeroflot flights bound for Moscow.