A German court convicted a 59-year-old man with dual German-Russian citizenship for selling electronic components to Russian companies, knowing they could be used for military purposes. The man received a sentence of six years and nine months in prison.
Although the court did not publicly identify the accused, they acknowledged his confession and expression of remorse. His 54-year-old wife received 21 months of suspended sentence for aiding her husband.
The Stuttgart court determined that the individual delivered approximately 120,000 parts to Russia between January 2020 and May 2023, including components used in Orlan-10 drones — a type deployed by Russia in the war against Ukraine.
The couple purchased components like transformers, amplifiers, and transistors in Germany. To conceal the true destination, they falsified shipping documents, suggesting the parts remained within Germany. However, evidence points to a specific company in St. Petersburg as the intended recipient.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU imposed stricter sanctions. The couple, in response, altered their operations by routing the components to Russia through Turkey, China, and the UAE. The total value of these illicit exports reached approximately €875,000.
