Smuggling of military equipment to Russia has prevented Republicans from stabbing Ukraine in the back

The US judiciary has dismantled two illegal networks that allegedly provided Russia with military technology for the war against Ukraine despite sanctions in place. A total of eleven suspects and several companies have been charged in two separate criminal proceedings, the Justice Ministry announced late Wednesday evening (local time).

In the first case, for which prosecutors in New York are responsible, five Russians are accused, among others. Among them is Yuri Orechow, the director of an industrial installation company in Hamburg. At the request of the United States, he was arrested in Germany and a partner in Italy. There was initially no comment from the company. The Italian authorities initially did not comment on the request.

Prosecutor Breon Peace described the suspect as “criminal agents of oligarchs”. The prosecution would continue for those who fueled Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, circumvented sanctions and committed money laundering. The FBI’s deputy director of police said he had “dismantled a sophisticated network”.

The suspects are accused, among other things, of purchasing semiconductors and microprocessors from the US that are used in Russia, for example in combat aircraft, radar equipment, missile systems or satellites. Some electronic components have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Hundreds of millions of barrels of oil were smuggled from Venezuela to Russian and Chinese customers via the Hamburg company. Two of the suspects are Venezuelan oil traders who had handled the multi-million dollar deal between the Venezuelan state oil company and the Hamburg-based company. Prosecutors say they used a complex system of front companies and bank accounts to cover up the transactions.

According to the indictment, cash couriers and cryptocurrencies transfers in Russia and Latin America were used to launder the proceeds. In addition, shipping documents were forged. To disguise the origin of the oil, the supertankers used were made to disable their navigation systems.

The US Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions on Orekhov and two of his companies. All assets in the US will be frozen. Doing business with them will be banned for US citizens, it said.

Three Latvians and a Ukrainian have been arrested in connection with the second network. They are accused of trying to smuggle into Russia a high-precision grinder that could also be used in nuclear weapons and defense programs. The machine was intercepted in time in Riga. Since it was made in Connecticut, the local law firm has jurisdiction over the case.

“Our investigators and prosecutors will be tireless in their efforts to identify, track down and bring to justice those whose illegal actions undermine the rule of law and allow the Russian regime to continue its baseless invasion of Ukraine,” the statement said. US Attorney General Merrick Garland. . (cpf/sda/dpa)