German Businessman Arrested for Supplying Drone Parts to Russia
A businessman from Kassel in central Germany has been arrested on suspicion of supplying engines for "Orlan-10" drones to Russia, in violation of the sanctions imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This information was reported by the Frankfurt-am-Main Prosecutor's Office and the Main Customs Office in Bonn, as per NDTV.
The accused is under investigation for violating German foreign trade and payment laws.
It is alleged that in 2022 and 2023, he supplied aviation engine models, electronic components, and other materials to Russia through an intermediary based in Hong Kong, linked to a company in St. Petersburg.
According to the investigation, the aviation engines that the German entrepreneur was selling to Russia are used in Russian reconnaissance drones, specifically the "Orlan-10," which Russian armed forces use in the conflict in Ukraine for artillery fire targeting.
Customs criminal investigation units seized a total of 120 such engines from the accused's company in the summer of 2023, thereby preventing potential exports to Russia.
Additionally, the businessman is accused of unlawfully exporting two expensive cars from Germany. These cars were also allegedly brought into Russia through Hong Kong, thereby violating EU sanctions.
The reported total value of all unlawfully exported goods is approximately two million euros. German law enforcement also conducted searches at six residential and office locations associated with the accused.
Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. These sanctions included an embargo on the export of "dual-use goods and technology" that could be used for both military and civilian purposes.
As reported by The Gaze, the European Union is set to begin consultations with its member states in the coming days regarding the twelfth package of sanctions against Russia.
It is expected that G7 countries will expand the list of prohibited goods that Russia can use for military purposes. The main aim of the EU and its allies will be to hinder the Kremlin from obtaining a range of critically important goods necessary for weapons production.