Russian media using continued trade with Ireland to ridicule EU sanctions

Darragh Mc Donagh

Ireland’s continued importation of animal feed products from Russia is being used by the media in that country to deride the supposed ineffectiveness of EU trade sanctions.

One news website published an article last week titled “Belgorod products are now being purchased in Ireland. What’s going on?”

Another headline read: “EU sanctions did not prevent Kursk plant from sending 277 tonnes of beet pulp to Ireland.”

The articles were purportedly based on data from the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor), which claimed that a large consignment of sugar beet pulp was on its way to Ireland from Kursk Region.

They reported that the animal feed from a plant in Bolshesoldatsky District in the Russian region bordering Ukraine had been certified for export to the European Union.

“As they say, sanctions are sanctions, and the economy is economics,” one article began, adding: “EU countries continue to receive goods from Kursk Region.”

EU sanctions do not currently prohibit the importation of sugar beet pulp from the Russian Federation, but Ireland’s continued trade with a region bordering the conflict zone is being used to dismiss the effectiveness of the sanctions regime.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said it had not been made aware of any imminent imports of sugar beet pulp, but such imports have occurred as recently as last February.

“It is a legal requirement… that all imports of animal feed must be notified to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at least 24 hours in advance,” he explained.

“There have been no imports of sugar beet pulp from the Russian Federation notified to the department since February 2025.”

Following the reports from Russia, the department contacted Irish importers and were not informed of any imminent shipments of sugar beet pulp from that country, according to the spokesman.

“There are currently no sanctions in place on the import of this product from Russia into the EU. Regulation EC 2025/1227 came into effect in July 2025, which modified customs duties applicable to the import of certain agricultural goods originating or exported directly from Russia and Belarus,” he added.