The previous recorded purchase took place in June 2024 and was worth $113,900.
Specific to cobalt, Russia is one of the global producers of various critical minerals used in battery manufacture. Although most cobalt supply is dominated by other nations (notably the Democratic Republic of Congo), as per Eurostat.
In November 2025, the Netherlands was the sole importer of Russian cobalt within the European Union. From April to June 2024, only the Netherlands imported the material, while in March 2024, Germany purchased a nominal batch worth $2,326.