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How Russia circumvents sanctions through proxy networks
Security and geopolitical analyst Ajmal Sohail, the co-founder and co-president of the Counter Narco Terrorism Alliance Germany, explained how Russia, Iran, and Pakistan use proxy networks to circumvent sanctions and wage hybrid warfare. These states are increasingly engaging in parallel warfare by enlisting extremist groups and criminal organizations as instruments of operation.
Sohail wrote about this in a column for Novyny.LIVE.
Proxy networks as a parallel front of the gray zone
Sohail notes that Russia, Iran, and Pakistan, each for its own reasons, have developed sophisticated methods of using extremist and criminal ecosystems, creating a coordinated model of influence and coercion.
"In the ambiguous space between war and peace, these states exploit connections that deliberately blur the lines between ideology, profit, and intelligence. The distinction between terrorism, organized crime, and state power is deliberately blurred here," he says.
According to the analyst, this marks a departure from the "classic" era of the 1990s and early 2000s. During that time, state support for extremists was typically fragmented across different channels, officially denied, and driven by ideology. Now, however, these connections are becoming more structured and transactional, openly integrated into foreign policy.
The analyst cited Russia as an example, noting that the country uses mercenaries and criminal intermediaries in Ukraine and Africa. Iran, for instance, controls a transnational network of militias stretching from Lebanon to Yemen. Additionally, Pakistan has long relied on jihadist organizations in Afghanistan and Kashmir, converting "proxies" into operational assets with defined roles.
The hybrid nature of these networks intensifies their effect. One person can act as a smuggler, militant, political mediator, and intelligence operative simultaneously.
According to Sohail, such actions enable formal non-involvement when official institutions are unable or unwilling to act openly.
"Russia relies on criminal syndicates to transport sanctioned goods, launder money, and carry out covert logistics operations in Ukraine and Africa. Iran, on the other hand, uses militias, "charity," front companies, and smuggling routes to maintain influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "Pakistani intelligence services have been recruiting extremists and drug networks along the Afghan border for years to influence political outcomes, generate revenue, and support 'strategic depth,'" he explains.
Sanctions and shadow logistics have become a systemic advantage
Sanctions have been noted to accelerate this trend. When formal channels are blocked, criminal intermediaries become critical by providing access to ports, forged documents, financial laundering, and global smuggling routes.
"The underground world is becoming a shadow logistics network for states under sanctions. Russia's ability to support a war economy, Iran's survival under decades of pressure, and Pakistan's maneuvering, particularly around Afghanistan, are closely tied to illegal trade," Sohail says.
These networks offer more than just financial support. They also facilitate the undetected movement of people, funds, and resources across borders.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that modern conflict extends far beyond the battlefield
The co-president of the Counter Narco Terrorism Alliance Germany states that Europe and Ukraine face a strategic challenge because institutions treat terrorism, organized crime, and hostile state activity as distinct issues. However, hybrid networks cross borders, sectors, and legal categories, exploiting gaps between law enforcement, intelligence, financial regulation, and border control. These structures thrive in bureaucratic cracks.
Effective counteraction requires an integrated understanding of the threat ecosystem. This includes fusion centers that combine financial intelligence, organized crime analysis, counterterrorism, cyber forensics, and foreign influence monitoring.
"The war against Ukraine has demonstrated that modern conflict extends far beyond the battlefield and involves evasion of sanctions, propaganda, criminal logistics, and extremist proxies. Russia, Iran, and Pakistan have adopted this model due to its affordability, deniability, and effectiveness. Those who master this ecosystem will dominate the next decade of geopolitical competition. The question is whether Europe is prepared to respond to the challenge before it becomes irreversible," he added.
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