# Is Sierra Leone helping Russia? What the money flows show

Bought less from Ukraine than without the war; below zero by 0.01% of GDP (€1m).

Sierra Leone moved €8m (0.13% of GDP) more toward Russia than without the war (Russia kept more, and Sierra Leone kept more from selling to Russia, mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere (€6m of €8m)). The net is 0.14% of a year's GDP toward Russia (likely 0.08% to 0.30% toward Russia; very likely · >99%).

[Open in the map →](https://warbalance.org/#SLE)

Toward Russia by

0.14% of a year's GDP since 2022

very likely · >99%

likely 0.08% to 0.30% toward Russia · €9m · ≈ 0.03%/yr

Bought less from Ukraine than without the war + raised Russia's earnings from trade = 0.14% of GDP toward Russia. Mostly toward Russia.

Chance toward Russia: >99%; 100% of the other method choices agree.

Support for Ukraine

Bought less from Ukraine than without the war; below zero by

0.01%

€1m

likely from 0.11% below zero to <0.01% above zero essentially zero

Russia's earnings from trade

Raised Russia's earnings from trade by

0.13%

€8m

likely 0.07% to 0.24% toward Russia very likely · >99%

Sierra Leone moved €8m (0.13% of GDP) more toward Russia than without the war (Russia kept more, and Sierra Leone kept more from selling to Russia, mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere (€6m of €8m)).

- Russia's gain: Russia kept 0.10% of GDP more (€6m; likely 0.04% to 0.18% toward Russia)
- Sierra Leone's own gain from trade with Russia: Sierra Leone kept 0.03% of GDP more from its trade with Russia (€2m; likely <0.01% to 0.12% toward Russia)

The two lines add up to Russia's earnings from trade; their ranges do not.

## Its story in short

- Russian oil at a war-time discount After the sanctions, Russia sold it oil below world prices: about €14m over 2022–2026. What Russia kept on that oil is counted at those lower prices, in the part on fuel and goods it sold here: the sanctions working on prices, not a choice to buy less.
- Mostly from fuel buying Orange here is mostly fuel buying, not siding with Russia. Most of this is fuel and food bought from Russia. Fuel is fungible and sold through many traders: the figure reflects what this economy bought, not a policy toward Russia or Ukraine.
- Rough data: mostly estimates 91% of its parts, by size, are rough indications (certainty D): treat its number as a direction, not a measurement.

## What makes up the number

Bought less from Ukraine than without the war; below zero by 0.01% · €1m

| Ukraine kept less from sales hereC | −0.01% | €1m |
| --- | --- | --- |

Raised Russia's earnings from trade by 0.13% · €8m

| Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countriesDown estimate | −0.10% | €6m |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sierra Leone kept more from shipping Russian oilD | −0.03% | €2m |

+ toward Ukraine, − toward Russia (in support for Ukraine, − is money it earned back or bought less from Ukraine than without the war). Letters: A reported, B measured estimate, C modelled estimate, D rough indication.

## By year

The year with the largest net amount was 2025: −€2m.

| Year | Support for Ukraine | Trade: toward Ukraine (+) / toward Russia (−) | Net | Net since 2022 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [2022](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2022/) | −<€1m | −€1m | −€1m | −0.01% |
| [2023](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2023/) | −<€1m | −€1m | −€1m | −0.04% |
| [2024](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2024/) | −<€1m | −€2m | −€2m | −0.07% |
| [2025](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2025/) | −<€1m | −€2m | −€2m | −0.11% |
| [2026](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2026/)\* | −<€1m | −€2m | −€2m | −0.14% |

Each year's amount: + toward Ukraine, − toward Russia. \*2026: to August.

## Support for Ukraine by type

Sierra Leone's support for Ukraine, 2022 to August 2026, split by type. The parts add up to the map's figure.

| Military aid | – |
| --- | --- |
| Private donations and purchases | −€1m |
| Support for Ukraine (the map's figure) | −€1m |

Quality of the split: D No military aid on record outside Kiel's tracker; this does not mean that no military aid was given.

[Military aid to Ukraine, every country →](https://warbalance.org/military-aid-to-ukraine-by-country/)

## Trade with Russia before and after

It bought €2m from Russia in 2021 and €1m in 2025. It sold <€1m to Russia in 2021 and €1m in 2025. These are sales values at each year's prices; the totals count what the seller kept on them.

## Sanctions on Russia

We found no sanctions of Sierra Leone's own against Russia (checked 27 October 2026). This says nothing about whether firms there follow other countries' sanctions. Russia's list of “unfriendly” states does not name Sierra Leone. Checked 27 October 2026.

[Every country's sanctions on Russia →](https://warbalance.org/countries-with-sanctions-on-russia/#SLE)

## The cost of switching away from Russian energy

Russian oil bought at a war-time discount saved it about €14m. This is not in the totals: shown for information.

## Compared with its neighbours and groups

In the map's ranking: number 30 of 32 economies toward Russia, as a share of GDP.

### Neighbours by land

| Country | Net, % of GDP |
| --- | --- |
| [Liberia](https://warbalance.org/country/liberia/) | +0.63% · +€26m · likely toward Ukraine · 85% |
| Sierra Leone | −0.14% · −€9m · very likely · >99% |

### In its region, with the same chance and direction: the nearest net shares of GDP

| Country | Net, % of GDP |
| --- | --- |
| [Iraq](https://warbalance.org/country/iraq/) | −0.22% · −€0.57bn · very likely · 96% |
| [Saudi Arabia](https://warbalance.org/country/saudi-arabia/) | −0.30% · −€3.5bn · very likely · 99% |
| [Jordan](https://warbalance.org/country/jordan/) | −0.35% · −€0.18bn · very likely · 97% |
| [Iran](https://warbalance.org/country/iran/) | −0.44% · −€1.9bn · very likely · >99% |

## How the number is backed

14 sources back its parts: 1 official statistics, 1 research reports, 0 press reports and 2 of this project's own estimates, plus 10 method inputs. By size, 0% of its parts are reported or measured (A–B), 8% modelled (C) and 92% rough indications (D). No data: Fuel and goods bought from Russia · Sales to Russia · War-time fuel prices. There is no observation of its own for the war years, so these count as zero. Why

### Data coverage

- Aid to Ukraine: estimated no record found: 0, with a small upper bound
- Private donations: estimated national totals or a GDP-based estimate
- Services trade with Russia: estimated includes shipping and insuring Russian oil (estimate)
- Refugee hosting: reported no refugees from Ukraine recorded
- Bought from Russia: estimated partly filled: estimated, mirror
- Sold to Russia: estimated partner data plus an estimate of goods reaching Russia via third countries
- Bought from Ukraine: estimated partly filled: mirror
- Sold to Ukraine: estimated partly filled: mirror
- Energy switching cost: estimated modelled per fuel and month
- Company taxes in Russia: reported no companies operating in Russia found

### Sources, by part

### Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries D

- own estimate · [Laundered oil: fuel made from Russian crude, assigned to the final buyer (trading hubs pass on what they resell), valued at the Russian crude inside it](https://energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CREA\_PCC\_Refined-Oil-Analysis\_19.02.2024\_Rev\_15.04.2024.pdf)

### Sierra Leone kept more from shipping Russian oil D

- research · [Tanker shipping, insurance and ship sales serving Russian oil and LNG exports: CREA, KSE Institute, S&P Global, Windward, press reports](https://sanctions.kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ROT\_July-2026.pdf)

### Ukraine kept less from sales here C

- official · [UN Comtrade, IMF trade statistics and Eurostat: goods trade with Russia and Ukraine](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?period=2024&partnerCode=643&flowCode=M&cmdCode=TOTAL&customsCode=C00&motCode=0&partner2Code=0)
- own estimate · [Purchases from Ukraine against what Ukraine could export: Ukraine's exports by product group and partner (UN Comtrade, State Customs Service of Ukraine), ECB exchange rates](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS)

- own estimate · [Laundered oil: fuel made from Russian crude, assigned to the final buyer (trading hubs pass on what they resell), valued at the Russian crude inside it](https://energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CREA\_PCC\_Refined-Oil-Analysis\_19.02.2024\_Rev\_15.04.2024.pdf)
- method input · [Price levels of what was traded with Russia and Ukraine (2019-2021 = 1): each buyer's own customs unit values per fuel and for other goods, benchmark indices (CREA, World Bank, Eurostat), gas contract prices; oil at the Russian port (FOB), outliers screened](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?period=2023&partnerCode=643&cmdCode=TOTAL&flowCode=M)
- method input · [Russia's net gain per euro of exports (taxes plus profit above a normal return): Russian Finance Ministry, company reports, IEA, Rosstat](https://minfin.gov.ru/ru/statistics/fedbud/oil)
- research · [Tanker shipping, insurance and ship sales serving Russian oil and LNG exports: CREA, KSE Institute, S&P Global, Windward, press reports](https://sanctions.kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ROT\_July-2026.pdf)
- method input · [Pre-war trends for services (OECD-WTO BaTiS, Eurostat, Bank of Russia), foreign companies in Russia and Russian seaborne exports](https://sdmx.oecd.org/public/rest/data/OECD.SDD.TPS,DSD\_BATIS@DF\_BATIS,1.0/.RUS...S...?startPeriod=2010&endPeriod=2021)
- method input · [Genuinely extra share of money earned: production ramp-ups and trade-redirection studies; value kept in the economy (the earlier rule): OECD Trade in Value Added (TiVA, 2025 edition)](https://sdmx.oecd.org/sti-public/rest/data/OECD.STI.PIE,DSD\_TIVA\_MAINSH@DF\_MAINSH,1.1/EXGR\_DVA..BTE+C+C19+C25+C26+C28+C302T309+GTN+H50+I.W.PT\_EXGR.A?startPeriod=2018&format=csv)
- method input · [Sellers' net gain per euro of sales (taxes on production plus profit above a normal return of 5% a year above inflation after company tax, plus the country's risk premium): OECD STAN database, 2025 edition, by country and industry; Damodaran country risk premiums](https://sdmx.oecd.org/public/rest/data/OECD.STI.PIE,DSD\_STAN@DF\_STAN\_2025,1.0/A..C+C19+C25+C252+C26+C28+C30+C303+C304+H50+I+GTN+K+K65+\_T.P1+D29X39+B2A3N+B2A3G+P51C+D1.V.XDC?startPeriod=2017&endPeriod=2024&format=csv)
- official · [UN Comtrade, IMF trade statistics and Eurostat: goods trade with Russia and Ukraine](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?period=2024&partnerCode=643&flowCode=M&cmdCode=TOTAL&customsCode=C00&motCode=0&partner2Code=0)
- method input · [Expected trade without the war: models back-tested on 2008, 2013 and 2016 against holding 2021 flat (UN Comtrade, World Bank WDI and commodity prices, UN voting)](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?period=2021&partnerCode=643&flowCode=X&cmdCode=TOTAL)
- method input · [Ranges of the 2022-2026 total measured on the back-tests' cumulative errors; own bands tested on their own history for Mongolia, Yemen, Tajikistan, Moldova, Türkiye, Kenya, Peru and French Polynesia](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?reporterCode=498&period=2019&flowCode=M&partnerCode=643&cmdCode=99,2711,27,31,TOTAL)
- method input · [Expected trade with Ukraine without the war: rolling back-tests on Ukraine's own history and on analogue partners (IMF WEO vintages, IMF DOTS)](https://db.nomics.world/IMF/DOT)
- method input · [Ukraine's net gain per euro of exports (taxes plus profit above a normal return): Ukrstat, company reports, KSE Institute](https://stat.gov.ua/sites/default/files/2026-09/yearbook\_24e.pdf)
- own estimate · [Purchases from Ukraine against what Ukraine could export: Ukraine's exports by product group and partner (UN Comtrade, State Customs Service of Ukraine), ECB exchange rates](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS)
- method input · [net-gain shares from official sector profitability (Russia: FNS/Rosstat by OKVED-2 activity; Ukraine: Derzhstat by KVED division), export duties collected and company results](https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons\_doc\_LAW\_55729/df3929054ebc0ff6d666accad51e6fedca8c75fe/)

## Questions

### Is Sierra Leone helping Russia?

In money terms the net is −0.14% of one year's GDP (likely 0.08% to 0.30% toward Russia; very likely · >99%). Chance toward Russia: >99%; 100% of the other method choices agree. Sierra Leone moved €8m (0.13% of GDP) more toward Russia than without the war (Russia kept more, and Sierra Leone kept more from selling to Russia, mostly Russian crude in fuel bought from refiners elsewhere (€6m of €8m)). Most of this is fuel and food bought from Russia. Fuel is fungible and sold through many traders: the figure reflects what this economy bought, not a policy toward Russia or Ukraine. The number counts money: weapons at their money value; votes, diplomacy and intent are not in it.

### How does Sierra Leone compare with its neighbours?

The net as a share of one year's GDP: Liberia +0.63%, Sierra Leone −0.14%. In the map's ranking: number 30 of 32 economies toward Russia, as a share of GDP.

### Where do the numbers for Sierra Leone come from?

14 sources back its parts, 1 of them official statistics. By part: Russia kept more from its oil bought via other countries: [Laundered oil: fuel made from Russian crude, assigned to the final buyer (trading hubs pass on what they resell), valued at the Russian crude inside it](https://energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CREA\_PCC\_Refined-Oil-Analysis\_19.02.2024\_Rev\_15.04.2024.pdf); Sierra Leone kept more from shipping Russian oil: [Tanker shipping, insurance and ship sales serving Russian oil and LNG exports: CREA, KSE Institute, S&P Global, Windward, press reports](https://sanctions.kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ROT\_July-2026.pdf); Ukraine kept less from sales here: [UN Comtrade, IMF trade statistics and Eurostat: goods trade with Russia and Ukraine](https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?period=2024&partnerCode=643&flowCode=M&cmdCode=TOTAL&customsCode=C00&motCode=0&partner2Code=0). The map's panel lists every one, with its documents.

### Does Sierra Leone have sanctions on Russia?

We found no sanctions of Sierra Leone's own against Russia (checked 27 October 2026). This says nothing about whether firms there follow other countries' sanctions. Russia's list of “unfriendly” states does not name Sierra Leone.

## Nearby in the ranking

Toward Russia · number 30 of 32

32. [Papua New Guinea](https://warbalance.org/country/papua-new-guinea/) · −0.08% · Toward Russia · −€22m
31. [Barbados](https://warbalance.org/country/barbados/) · −0.09% · Toward Russia · −€6m
- [Kiribati](https://warbalance.org/country/kiribati/) · −0.12% · Toward Russia · −<€1m
30. Sierra Leone−0.14% · Toward Russia · −€9m
- [Nauru](https://warbalance.org/country/nauru/) · −0.19% · Toward Russia · −<€1m
29. [Indonesia](https://warbalance.org/country/indonesia/) · −0.20% · Toward Russia · −€2.6bn
28. [Iraq](https://warbalance.org/country/iraq/) · −0.22% · Toward Russia · −€568m

## More about Sierra Leone

### Its parts, ranked against other countries

- [Purchases from Ukraine vs no war](https://warbalance.org/imports-from-ukraine/)

### Every country, by year

- [2022](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2022/)
- [2023](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2023/)
- [2024](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2024/)
- [2025](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2025/)
- [2026](https://warbalance.org/ukraine-aid-2026/)
- [Support for Ukraine by country](https://warbalance.org/support-for-ukraine/)
- [All topics](https://warbalance.org/topics/)

14 sources in all; the map's panel lists every one, with its documents. [Open in the map](https://warbalance.org/#SLE) · [How this is measured](https://warbalance.org/how-it-works/)

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Cite as: War Balance, figures to August 2026, https://warbalance.org/country/sierra-leone/