Earthsight reveals how Russian “conflict timber” worth over $1billion was sold in the US

Earthsight, a non-profit organization, uncovered a network of companies and individuals involved in the illegal logging and export of Russian “conflict timber” to the US.

Through an article released February 24, 2023, Earthsight revealed how America’s business in “conflict timber”, banned in the EU and Britain, helps fund Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and enriches powerful Russian oligarchs. Earthsight highlights how over 260,000 cubic metres of Russian plywood has landed at US ports since the invasion began, with an estimated retail value of $1.2 billion. The suspect plywood is being sold across the United States, including through one of its largest home improvement retail chains, Menards.

The article emphasizes the need for stronger international action and calls for increased transparency in supply chains and for companies to take responsibility for the environmental and social impacts of their products.

In response to Earthsight’s findings, Ukrainian activists are urging Washington to sanction Russian wood supplies, calling the continued profits “blood money”.

The illegal logging has serious environmental and social consequences, including the destruction of protected forests and the displacement of indigenous communities who depend on the forest for their livelihoods.

The entire article, dated February 24, 2023, can be read on the Earthsight website.