Five Russians were indicted by US authorities on Wednesday for allegedly shipping American electronic components to Russian arms manufacturers, some of which were discovered on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Individually, three Latvians as well as a Ukrainian were charged with attempting to send a high-precision industrial grinder made in the United States to Russia, which the Justice Department claimed could be used by arms manufacturers or in a nuclear arms program.
According to the Justice Department, the two programs entailed front companies in numerous nations, including Dubai and Germany, and were intended to circumvent US and global sanctions against Russia.
The first scheme entailed purchasing sensitive technologies such as sophisticated semiconductors and microprocessors used in fighter planes, missile systems, smart armaments, radar, and satellites from US manufacturers.
According to the Justice Department, Dubai-located Russian Yury Orekhov, Artem Uss, the son of a provincial Russian governor, as well as the three others carried out the operation through a Hamburg, Germany-based firm, shipping the majority of the technology to Russian defense companies sanctioned by the US.
It stated, for example, that Orekhov visited the The Us in 2019 to source parts for the Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters.
The Justice Department stated that “several of the kinds of electronic components obtained through the felonious scheme have been discovered in Russian weapon systems seized on the battlefield in Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, payments were made via offshore companies, a financial institution in the United Arab Emirates, cash drops, and cryptocurrency trades, according to the department.
Five Russians and two traders have been charged with conspiracy to hoodwink the US, sanctions violations, fraud, and money laundering.
Not only Orekhov but also Uss was arrested in Germany and Italy on Monday, respectively, and the US will seek their repatriation, according to the department.
In the 2nd scheme, the four organized for the purchase of a jig grinder manufactured in Connecticut, essentially for the European market, but with the intent of shipping it to Russia. Latvian authorities apprehended the grinder.
“These defendants tried to smuggle a high-precision export-controlled product to Russia, where it could have been used during nuclear proliferation or Russian defense programs,” US Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said.
The three Latvians were apprehended on Tuesday, while the Ukrainian national was apprehended in Estonia in June.
They are all accused of conspiracy to defraud the US, smuggling, as well as money laundering. Their extradition is also sought by the Justice Department.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury sanctioned Orekhov, his German company, as well as a Dubai firm he owns.
“Russia has progressively battled to secure vital inputs and technologies required for its devastating campaign against Ukraine,” said Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Treasury Secretary.
“We confirm that these endeavours are having a direct impact on the battlefield, because Russia’s despair has led them to switch to inferior providers as well as obsolete equipment,” said Adeyemo.
