Germany sentences businessman to nearly seven years for illegally supplying drone components to Russia
The Stuttgart Higher Regional Court has sentenced a former businessman from the Saar region to six years and nine months in prison for illegally supplying drone components to Russia. [Materials supplied by the defendant have found military applications, the court noted on Wednesday, July 17.
The businessman's wife, from the Baden-Wurttemberg region, was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence for aiding her husband. The court's decision was in line with the Federal Prosecutor's requests. Both parties hold dual German and Russian citizenship.
According to the case documents, the couple’s client in Russia produced military-grade materials and components, including the "Orlan-10" drone used by Russian forces in the conflict against Ukraine. The electronic components supplied by the defendants are integral to these drones, which fall under the EU embargo.
The exported components, such as transformers, amplifiers, and transistors, were procured from Germany, among other places. The defendants sent these materials to Russia under false recipient names to make it appear that the components remained within Germany. However, the parts were ultimately delivered to a company in St. Petersburg.
After Russia's armed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU tightened sanctions against Russia, prompting the convicted couple to adapt their business model, routing the components to Russia via Turkey, China, and the UAE. The total value of the exported parts amounted to approximately 875,000 euros.