Russian FSB arrests head of company which made Siemens turbines for Crimea
Officers of the Russian FSB have arrested the director general of Power Machines plant, Roman Filippov on suspicion of disclosing state secrets.
Information on the arrest came out against the backdrop of the scandal surrounding the shipment of Siemens turbines to Crimea, which is currently under EU sanctions. The SGT5-2000E turbines are produced by the St. Petersburg based company Siemens Gas Turbines Technologies (SGTT), a joint enterprise of Siemens and Power Machines JSC, created in 2011 (65% owned by Siemens, 35% by Power Machines).
SGTT together with the company became the respondent in Siemens’ lawsuit which was filed on July 10. The company intends to ensure that two SGT5-2000E gas turbines, purchased by Technopromexport for power facilities in Taman, are returned from occupied Crimea to Krasnodar Krai.
All of the German company’s claims have been directed at Technopromexport, SGTT was brought in as a party involved in the contract which was made earlier.
Citing three informed sources, Reuters reported previously that Russia had brought power station gas turbines produced by the German company Siemens to the annexed Crimea. The shipments were made in circumvention of the sanctions.
On Monday July 10, the German concern confirmed that two gas turbines had been shipped to the Crimea against the company’s will. The company called this a “clear violation of the delivery contract”.
On July 11, the news agency’s reporters documented another two gas turbines in the Feodosia port which resemble the scandalous Siemens turbines.