A Russian-German man suspected of illegally exporting electronic components to Moscow arrested in Cyprus

The US judiciary announced the arrest of a Russian-German national in Cyprus, suspected of illegally exporting electronic components to Russia for military use, in violation of sanctions imposed by Washington on Moscow due to the conflict in Ukraine.

In a statement, the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Manhattan stated that Arthur Petrov, a 33-year-old holding both German and Russian nationalities, was apprehended in Cyprus on August 26 at the request of US authorities. He is charged with "export violations" as well as "smuggling, fraud, and money laundering."

Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General, stated that "Petrov organized the smuggling of precise American electronic technologies to Russia, intended for military use, which are the components used by the Russian armed forces in their illegal invasion of Ukraine."

Under US laws governing export control and sanctions targeting Moscow, the US official affirmed that his government "will not tolerate any attempt... to feed the Russian war machine."

According to US authorities, the accused, whose extradition to the United States is yet to be determined, owns a shell company in Cyprus and assured his clients that he was buying and selling electronic chips for the market of this EU member state or for other countries not subject to sanctions.

Based on the Department, the ultimate buyer is a Russian company in St. Petersburg named Electrocom VPK, which supplies equipment to Russian weapons manufacturers.

If the Russian-German national is prosecuted in the United States and faces charges, he could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.



AFP