Last year Russia’s vodka sales to international markets drew notable attention as Israel emerged as the top importer. Over a 12‑month period, Israel’s purchases of Russian vodka surged to a value of 24.7 million dollars, more than quadrupling from the prior year’s level of 5.7 million. This shift is documented through BM Comtrade statistics cited by RIA Novosti, underscoring a dramatic reallocation of Russian spirits among national import profiles (Citations: BM Comtrade data, RIA Novosti reporting).
In the same period, Israel’s rise to the head of the list reflects broader changes in global beverage sourcing. The country’s year‑over‑year growth in vodka imports from Russia highlights how political, economic, and consumer demand dynamics can interact to reshape trade patterns in the alcohol sector. The narrative emphasizes Israel’s leadership in Russian vodka imports and notes a significant monetary increase that outpaced other major buyers (Citation: BM Comtrade; RIA Novosti report).
Beyond Israel, Germany and Armenia also ranked among the leading importers of Russian vodka. Together, these two nations accounted for total purchases of 7.5 million and 6.9 million dollars, respectively. The accompanying analysis indicates that both markets reduced their intake of Russian vodka toward the end of the previous year, signaling a potential shift in consumer preferences or sourcing strategies within Europe and the South Caucasus. This cooling effect contrasts with the earlier years when Russian vodka had higher import volumes into these markets (Citations: BM Comtrade data; RIA Novosti analysis).
Specifically, Germany held the second position in the ranking but trimmed its Russian vodka imports to 7.5 million dollars after a much larger volume of 43.4 million in 2021. Armenia, meanwhile, entered the top three in 2022, even as its purchases from Russia declined by nearly half year over year, falling from 13.2 million dollars to 6.9 million. These shifts illustrate how regional policy changes, tariff environments, and consumer sentiment can influence the vodka trade in Europe and adjacent regions (Citations: BM Comtrade data; RIA Novosti analysis).
Further context comes from industry data published in February by TASS, which cites Evotor, a Russian maker of smart online cash registers. The report notes a 12 percent rise in retail vodka and cognac sales in Russia during January 2023 compared with January 2022, while the average vodka price rose to 817 rubles per liter, marking a 12 percent increase from the previous year. This snapshot provides a domestic counterpoint to the international import trends, illustrating how producer and retailer dynamics can influence price and availability within the domestic market (Citation: Evotor data via TASS).