According to official figures from the Czech Statistical Office, cited by the Czech Press Agency (CTK), exports surged to 33,100 tonnes (about 31 million liters). 

So far, the European Union has adopted 15 sanctions packages on Russia targeting individuals, entities, financial instruments and goods, trying to deprive Russia of the necessary funds to continue its invasion of Ukraine. 

The European Commission said that “since February 2022, the EU has banned over €48 billion in goods that would have been exported to Russia and €91.2 billion in goods that would have been imported from Russia.” 

But a ban on beer exports to Russia has never been placed. 

Lukáš Kovanda, the chief economist at Trinity Bank in the Czech Republic, told CTK: “the Czech Republic exported almost two million more pints of beer to Russia last year, for the first time in history reaching the value of one billion crowns (€39.8 million).” 

However, the Czechs could trail Germany when it comes to beer exports to Russia. 

According to the Russian state-owned news agency RIA, Germany exported 105,300 tonnes of beer to Russia between January and October 2024—the most of any European country, despite a year-on-year decrease of 24%.  

Other European countries exporting beer to Russia include Lithuania (24,300 tonnes), Belgium (18,400 tonnes), Poland (18,100), Latvia (16,500 tonnes), the Netherlands (4,700 tonnes), Austria (2,300 tonnes) and others.