The move suggests London is unsure whether the restrictions have achieved their intended goal or just hindered British business, experts say

The UK has spent around $1 million analyzing the effectiveness of its sanctions against Russia, RT has found. Experts suggest the move is a sign that London is beginning to doubt the restrictions' success and is looking to justify the measures.

According to procurement documents examined by RT, Britain allocated at least Pound 756,000 ($1 million) for two separate research projects in 2024 and 2025. The aim was to assess the extent of the damage caused by sanctions to both the Russian and British economies, as well as to examine ways the restrictions are being bypassed.

One of the contracts, worth Pound 85,000 ($114,000), was signed in January 2025 with Themis International Services Limited, a consultancy specializing in financial risk and anti-corruption procedures. Commissioned by the Department for Business and Trade, the study was completed in March 2025 but its findings have not been publicized. The firm was tasked with assessing the impact of British sanctions on Russian business services, including law firms, advertising agencies, consultancies, and IT providers.

The contract included a series of confidential interviews and roundtables with British business leaders linked to Russia. The discussions examined the withdrawal of UK companies from Russia, obstacles to that process, and whether new subsidiaries had been created in response to sanctions.

A larger contract, worth Pound 671,000 ($901,000), was awarded in November 2024 to Deloitte by the Foreign Office to assess the attitudes toward sanctions among private-sector and non-governmental bodies. Completed in July 2025, the project involved two rounds of surveys of at least 3,000 organizations per round. The results have likewise not been disclosed.

Britain has been among the most active nations in sanctioning Russia, steadily expanding restrictions since 2022. Former MI5 chief Eliza Manningham-Buller recently suggested the UK may already be at war with Russia, pointing to alleged cyberoperations and sabotage.

Economist Dmitry Alekseev has said the research provides evaluation and political justification by showing lawmakers and partners that consequences are being tracked. Analyst Alexander Razuvayev also noted frustration among British funds over frozen investments in Russia. According to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, the UK has frozen Russian assets worth Pound 25 billion.

Russian MP Vitaly Milonov has suggested the research shows London has doubts about the effectiveness of sanctions and is trying to persuade European partners that its course is justified.

(RT.com)