Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania: investigations opened into funding provided by Russian designated person

Further to our earlier post regarding an investigation in Latvia into the activities of the designated Russian state entity “Pravfond”, it has now been reported that a number of other investigations are ongoing in relation to this entity’s activities:

1) An investigation has been commenced in Sweden in relation to a school that had associations with Pravfond;

2) In Estonia a multiple investigations (by the criminal authorities and the bar association) have been opened in relation to lawyers who accepted funds from Pravfond; and

3) In Lithuania a criminal investigation has been opened (as well as one by the bar association) into lawyers who took funds from Pravfond.

    Estonia – conviction and 2-year sentence for making economic resources available to a designated person

    Further to our earlier post, it has been reported that journalist Svetlana Burtseva has been convicted of breaches of the EU’s sanctions.

    The offence was committed by making “economic resources” available to a designated person. The designated person was the sanctioned media outlet Rossiya Segodnya.

    The “economic resources” were articles and photos written and taken by the journalist.

    Ms Burtseva was sentenced to 2 years in jail for this offence.

    Separately the same journalist was also convicted of treason and given a 4-year sentence for the treason offence.

    Estonia – details of eleven Russian sanctions convictions

    Further to the earlier post about Estonia having obtained 8 criminal convictions during 2024, we can publish details of the criminal convictions for breaches of the EU’s Russian sanctions that have been published on Estonia’s searchable gazette of published judgments.

    As well as one conviction obtained in 2022, below we are publishing summaries of seven of the convictions from 2024 and three from 2025 (not including the conviction made public on 16 April 2025) as well as machine translations of the respective judgments.

    The sentences range from fairly small monetary fines up to custodial sentences of 5 years in jail.

    1. Judgment of 10 October 2022 – Petr Rafalovich (a Belarus national) was convicted and given a two month sentence following which he was to be deported to Belarus and given a five-year ban from re-entering Estonia. He was also ordered to pay a penalty and costs of €1,250.40.

    The offence was the attempt to export a 3D printer and an electromagnetic positioner. Mr Rafalovich was carrying false papers indicating the goods were destined for an Armenian company, as well as other papers indicating the true recipient to be a Russian company.

    2. Judgment of 5 February 2024 – Victor Manilo was convicted and ordered to pay €2,680 as a fine.

    The offence was the attempted export of €14,000 in physical currency to Russia.

    3. Judgment of 14 February 2024 – Galina Sergejenkova was convicted and ordered to pay €3,960, such payment suspended for a probationary period of 18 months. A separate payment of costs and a penalty of €1,434.96 were to be paid straightaway.

    The offences were two attempts to transport physical currency (of €900 and €1,000 respectively).

    4. Judgment of 27 February 2024 – Evgeniy Kozlovtsev was convicted and given an eight month sentence suspended for a probationary period of 18 months. He was also ordered to pay a penalty and costs of €1,430.

    The offence was the attempted export to Russia of two bottles of wine greater than the €300 luxury threshold. It was the man’s second attempt at such exports.

    5. Judgment of 8 March 2024 – Aleksei Bond was convicted and given a five month prison sentence suspended for a probationary period of 18 months. He was also ordered to pay a penalty and costs of €1,555.

    The offence was the attempted export of a luxury watch valued at €13,900 to Russia.

    6. Judgment of 27 March 2024 – Lev Pylkin was convicted and ordered to pay a penalty of €1,190, as well as confiscation of the cash he attempted to export to Russia.

    The offence was the attempted export of €2,560 in physical currency across the border to Russia. He had previously attempted to export cash at which time the details of the offence had been explained. The judgment is the dismissal of an appeal against the conviction and sentence.

    7. Judgment of 17 October 2024 – Ruslan Sibilev was convicted and ordered to pay a fine of €79,557.50 as well as confiscation of a large number of rifle scopes, binoculars and other equipment.

    The offences were committed through the acquisition of a range of sanctioned goods from a Portuguese company and an Austrian company, with Sibilev acting to coordinate further transport for the export of the goods to Russia. The orders were placed between May 2022 and April 2023. The total value of the goods ordered was nearly €1 million.

    8. Judgment of 16 December 2024 – Oleg Osipov was convicted and sentenced to 8 months in prison suspended for a probationary period of 18 months. He was also ordered to pay €13,230, including 100% of the fee earned as part of the sanctioned transactions.

    The offences were committed through Osipov providing a brokering service for the export of luxury goods to buyers in Russia between May and July 2023. The goods included electrical goods, phones, alcohol, navigation systems and various automotive parts. Osipov contracted with others to deliver the goods and took a brokering fee for arranging the transactions.

    9. Judgment of 14 February 2025 – Demyan Belyakov was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in jail and ordered to pay €8,231 in costs and other penalties. In addition a large volume of goods were confiscated.

    The offences were committed through the actual and attempted export to Russia of hundreds of silencers and firearm flash suppressors between February and June 2024.

    10. Judgment of 20 February 2025 – Andrei Klychkov was convicted and sentenced to serve two months in prison plus a further period of 2 years and 10 months suspended for a probationary period of 4 years. €5,000 was also confiscated and he was ordered to pay costs of €2,581.

    The offences were committed by the attempted export of parts for firearms, to Russia.

    11. Judgment of 21 March 2025 – Aleksandr Ivantsov was convicted and sentenced to 4 years, 11 months and 27 days (after deducting 3 days of pre-trial detention) suspended for a probationary period of 5 years and other conditions including a requirement for prior permission to be away from his house for more than 15 days, and permission to leave Estonia. He was also ordered to pay €2,215 and had 70,550 rubles, and other goods, confiscated.

    The offence was committed by the attempted export of six pairs of night-vision binoculars.

    This case is related to that above for Ruslan Sibilev with Mr Ivantsov being one of the people used to try and physically carry the goods across the border into Russia.

    Estonia – criminal sanctions conviction for accepting funds from designated person

    The Estonian authorities have secured a guilty plea as part of a plea deal by an individual who accepted funds from a designated person.

    The accused, Tatjana Sokolova, received payments into Russian bank accounts from “The Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad” – a designated person under the EU’s sanctions.

    The funds were withdrawn and carried into Estonia in person. The money was to be used to fund the defence of another individual who was being prosecuted for crimes against the Estonian state.

    The sentence is for 360 hours of community service, with the 12-month unserved part of a 16-month prison sentence to be suspended pending completion of the community service.

    Cash of €10,000 found when Sokolova was arrested has been confiscated and she was ordered to pay €1389 in court costs.

    Estonia – seizure of Russian shadow fleet oil tanker

    On Friday the Estonian Navy has seized an oil tanker (the Kiwala) forming part of the so-called “shadow fleet”. The Kiwala is designated by the EU.

    During a routine inspection of the vessel’s documentation, it was determined that the vessel was not validly flagged in any country and did not have valid insurance.

    The vessel has been detained pending rectification of the documentation and other safety issues.

    Estonia – 8 sanctions convictions and more than 100 active criminal cases

    The Yearbook of the Prosecutor’s Office in Estonia has published details on its enforcement of sanctions to date.

    I thank Siiri Grabbi of the Coop Pank in Tallinn for the reference.

    The Yearbook states that eight criminal convictions have been obtained with one also appealed. It does not provide details of the offending or the sentences imposed.

    The Yearbook further notes that the Prosecutor’s office currently has more than 100 active criminal cases.

    Italy and Estonia – extradition of sanctions suspect to Estonia

    It is being reported that the Estonian Prosecutor’s office has successfully completed the extradition of suspect Ivan Anchevsky, after he was arrested in Italy.

    The prosecution of Anchevsky for suspected exports to Russian in breach of EU sanctions, forms part of a wider investigation including two unnamed Estonian companies and their boards of directors.

    Anchesvsky, who is a citizen of both Estonia and Russia, is suspected of using his companies Melytec and Melytec Testing to export sanctions goods to Russia.

    Estonia – 83 criminal prosecutions for Russian trade sanctions violations since 2024

    It has been reported that during 2024 Estonia’s Internal Security Service commenced 71 criminal cases in relation to suspected trade with Russia in breach of the EU’s sanctions, and has commenced another 12 already during 2025. These cases are said to be for the more serious, intentional or repeat offenders.

    The same report note that Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board are currently identifying an average of 12 sanctions violations per day predominantly by individuals attempted to take cash or luxury goods into Russia. This is reported to be down from a previous average of 22 violations per day.

    With all people crossing the border being subject to inspection, first time offenders are required to either turn back and not cross, or to accept confiscation of the goods/items and continue the journey.

    Lithuania – raids and 10 arrested for suspected prohibited exports to Russia

    Lithuania’s State Security Department has issued a press release detailing raids and arrests carried out on 14 January of this year involving ten suspects.

    The investigation was said to have been a collaborative effort also involving Estonia and Latvia.

    The principal suspect is a Russian national who is alleged to have orchestrated the supply of high-tech equipment manufactured in Lithuania to Russian customers related to the Russian defence and security industry. He remains in custody. The other suspects have been released subject to conditions.

    A pre-trial investigation has been commenced by the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office in relation to the suspects.

    Estonia – person detained for alleged breach of designated person’s asset freeze

    It is being reported that the Estonian authorities have arrested and detained a 65-year old named only as Tatjana, for allegedly managing and handling funds on behalf of the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad, which is a designated person under the EU’s sanctions.

    It is alleged that Tatjana received €50,000 from the Foundation and used the money to fund a person’s defence in an ongoing criminal trial in Estonia.

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    The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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