Russian media is using continued trade with Ireland to ridicule EU 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.”

These articles were allegedly based on data from the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision Service (Rosselkhoznadzor), which claimed that a large shipment of beet pulp was headed to Ireland from the Kursk region.

They reported that the animal feed was certified for export to the EU from a plant located in the Bolshesoldatsky district of the Russian region bordering Ukraine.

“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 import of beet pulp from the Russian Federation, but Ireland's continued trade with the region bordering the conflict zone is being used to undermine the effectiveness of the sanctions regime.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said they had not been informed of any imminent imports of beet pulp, but such imports occurred as early 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.”

According to the spokesperson, following reports from Russia, the department contacted Irish importers, and they were not informed of any impending shipments of beet pulp from that country.

“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.