Finland is Investigating The Supply of Drones to Russia in Violation of Sanctions

Finnish Customs has opened a criminal investigation over the supply of sanctioned goods - drones and other military goods - to Russia by two Finnish companies, totalling more than three million euros.  

This is reported on the official website of the Finnish Customs. 

"Customs has conducted an investigation into two Finnish companies suspected of more than thirty cases of exporting or attempting to export goods under sanctions. In particular, microcontrollers and semiconductor components. It is suspected that these goods with a total value of more than €600,000 entered Russia," the statement said.  

In addition, according to the customs, approximately 3,500 unmanned aerial vehicles worth about two million euros entered Russia.  

Customs also suspects that the companies were transiting military equipment designed to intercept drones. The total value of this type of goods is over €350,000.  

Both companies currently under investigation have the same person as a director. Finnish Customs suspects that one of the companies "acted as a purchasing company", purchasing goods subject to Western sanctions. The other provided transport services directly to Russia.   

To circumvent the sanctions, a network of international intermediary companies was created, which, in particular, was financed from Russia. In this way, Finnish companies prepared documents for the export of drones and electronics to Kazakhstan, but in fact, the goods were sent to Russia. 

According to Hannah Sinkkonen, Director of the Control Department, Finland is cooperating with the Netherlands, the UK, the US, and EU law enforcement agencies Europol as part of the investigation. 

Earlier, it was reported that Russian trading companies are still purchasing firearms and ammunition from the United States and several European countries. For the most part, Russia avoids sanctions through third countries. 

For example, at least 50 AR15 automatic rifles used by the US military and the German Bundeswehr were imported to Russia in this way.  

In total, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the aggressor country has imported about 7,300 firearms and more than eight million rounds of ammunition manufactured by Western companies.