TIRANA — Mounting evidence suggests that sanctioned Russian interests are exploiting networks in Albania to bypass international restrictions imposed by the United States, the European Union and NATO allies.
Investigations and media reports indicate that through negligence, smuggling or outright corruption among officials within the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, entities in Albania’s critical infrastructure sectors have facilitated transactions that appear to violate sanctions on both Russia and Iran.
A recent investigation by RBC Ukraine found that Russian oil and fuel products have been smuggled into Europe through Albanian ports. The report cites deceptive shipping manifests — including two vessels that docked at the private port of Porto Romano near Durrës, declaring cement while allegedly carrying more than 600,000 litres of undeclared diesel. According to Balkan Insight, the smuggling routes may also involve Libyan intermediaries connected to warlord Khalifa Haftar, whose networks have previously served as conduits for Russian funding and logistics.
Around the same time, another case of suspected infiltration emerged in a different sector. A Swiss-based company — reportedly controlled by Turkish-Iranian nationals previously sanctioned by U.S. authorities — is believed to have entered Albania’s market through Algeria, allegedly maintaining ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Hashtag.al investigation that brought the case to light highlights the company’s opaque ownership structure and the lack of regulatory scrutiny surrounding its operations.
Concerns have also grown around the financing of Vlora International Airport, a key infrastructure project on Albania’s southern coast. Local reporting indicates that the airport’s operating company has partnered with an offshore entity called Compartment Bernina, registered under Luxembourg’s securitisation framework. According to Vox News Albania, Bernina is linked to figures with ties to the Russian state and structured to move assets beyond Albanian legal jurisdiction — raising alarms over potential foreign control of strategic infrastructure.
The opacity surrounding these deals — combined with recurring links to sanctioned actors — has raised serious doubts about Albania’s capacity to safeguard its financial and security systems. Analysts at The GPC argue that while Albania remains a NATO member, weak oversight of its ports and energy facilities makes it an increasingly attractive gateway for illicit Russian capital.
Whether the pattern stems from corruption, incompetence or deliberate complicity, the consequence is clear: Albania has become a critical weak point in Europe’s sanctions regime. Without swift action and transparent investigation, this gap could widen — leaving Europe’s economic defenses dangerously exposed.
