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Czech Security Agency Investigates Firms Over Suspected Exports to Russian Arms Industry
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Czechia`s Security and Information Service (BIS) has launched an investigation into local companies that may have exported equipment to Russia for weapons manufacturing — a move prompted by a warning from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, iRozhlas reported on July 3.
BIS spokesperson Ladislav Šticha confirmed the probe, stating that the agency will act immediately upon receiving the full list of suspect firms. Zelenskyy recently claimed that eight Czech companies could be involved in supplying machinery used in Russian arms production.
“As soon as we receive the list, we will carry out an investigation into these companies and stores,” Šticha said in comments to iRozhlas.
Šticha noted that while the BIS has not yet received an official list of exporters from Ukraine, Czech authorities are already aware that hundreds of companies are attempting to bypass sanctions to trade with Russia.
According to him, many of the suspect exports may have taken place before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — before EU sanctions were in place. He emphasized that direct exports of such sensitive equipment from the Czech Republic to Russia are not legally possible without a license.
“However, it is almost certain that these were not direct exports from the Czech Republic to Russia, since that is impossible without a license, and such goods could not legally cross the border,” he said.
Šticha warned that some companies exploit loopholes by exporting to so-called "safe" countries, including EU member states, with goods later re-exported to Russia.
“Companies often defend themselves by claiming they had no knowledge of the resale, and proving otherwise is very difficult,” he added.
He also sounded the alarm over limited government capacity to enforce sanctions, pointing to a lack of funding and manpower.
“Just a few dozen government experts are facing hundreds of companies trying to export goods to Russia,” he said.
Earlier, Ukraine and Czechia signed an agreement to create a “Unity Hub” for Ukrainians living in Czechia — the second center of its kind in Europe. The initiative aims to strengthen ties between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland, while also encouraging eventual return. Similar hubs are planned in other countries as part of a broader effort to support the Ukrainian diaspora.
