Penalties for a pair for smuggling drone parts to Russia
The Senate considered it proven that the 59-year-old business manager of two companies supplied a total of 120,000 components to companies in Russia between January 2020 and May 2023, bypassing EU sanctions. One of the companies manufactures, among other things, Orlan 10 reconnaissance drones used by the Russian military in their armed conflict against Ukraine.
The 59-year-old supplied some of the material required for drone production through a company controlled by a co-defendant, who was also sentenced, in Baden-Württemberg to front companies in Russia. The components then reached the end user from there.
After the start of the Russian armed conflict against Ukraine in February 2022, he changed his strategy and supplied components to Russia through "advanced recipients" in third countries. In total, he earned around 875,000 Euro from these prohibited business deals. The man was found guilty of 54 counts of commercial violations of the Foreign Trade Act, while the woman was found guilty of aiding and abetting in 14 counts.
The "criminal energy" used to bypass the sanctions was borne by the man, according to the judgment. In part, the man admitted the charges in court. The judgment met the demand of the Federal Prosecutor. The proceedings against the businesspeople had begun in May.
The man was arrested in March 2023 and has been in custody since then. His co-defendant was held in investigative detention at times but was later released on bail. The investigation in this case was taken over by the Federal Prosecutor due to its significance, and therefore they also filed the indictment in the trial.
- The Appellate Court upheld the original sentence, which included a Fine for the 59-year-old business manager from Stuttgart, for his involvement in drone components smuggling to Russia, bypassing EU sanctions against Ukraine.
- The man from Stuttgart, who was found guilty of supplying illegal drone components, could have faced a more severe Probation sentence if the Judge had considered the impact of his actions on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- The smuggling of drone components from Europe to Russia, as proven in the Stuttgart case, is a direct violation of the sanctions imposed by the European Union, aiming to hinder Russia's military capabilities in Ukraine.
- The smugglers, including the Stuttgart-based business manager, could have used drones for reconnaissance or other military purposes, potentially escalating the conflict in Ukraine, according to experts.
- The appeal against the 59-year-old's sentence was dismissed by the Court, meaning his decision to supply drone components to Russia, while still under EU sanctions, resulted in him serving a prison sentence instead of a probation period.
- The use of drones in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine raised concerns in the European Union, explaining why strict sanctions were imposed on drone components exports to Russia.
