On 4 November, the US Justice Department issued a press release following the extradition from France of Yana Leonova to face charges of exports of aviation equipment to Russia in breach of US sanctions.
The press release gives little information on when she was arrested or whether the extradition was contested.
It is alleged that she falsified the final destinations for exports and used a variety of front companies in Armenia, the Maldives and elsewhere.
Further to our earlier post, it is being reported (here, here and here) that in September a court in Frankfurt convicted Alexander S. of exports of sanctioned goods to Russia.
He is reported to have been sentenced to 4 years and 11 months in jail. Both the defence and prosecution have appealed.
The conviction relates to exports of dual use maritime technology to Russia via a procurement network said to be run through the Cypriot company Mostrello.
After press reporting on possible breaches of Norway’s Russian sanctions by companies in the Kongsberg Group, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that as of 25 October, it had started an investigation:
“PST has today decided to initiate an investigation of Kongsberg Discovery for violation of export control regulations. The reason for our decision is that through media coverage in recent days, information has emerged that gives PST reason to carry out further investigations“.
Kongsberg is a state-owned arms manufacturer and is reported to have stated to the press that it has followed Norway’s regulations.
The allegations are that equipment used for undersea surveillance have been sold and shipped to Russian military customers.
Further to our earlier post from February 2025, regarding the Spanish authorities seizure of 13,000 tons of prohibited chemicals from being exported to Russia, it is now being reported by the OCCRP that the chemical in question was N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone used in a range of manufacturing.
While it is reported that the Audiencia Nacional has confirmed that as yet no one has been charged, it has been confirmed that nine individuals are currently under investigation as suspects including Maria Oleinikova and her son and daughter Vyacheslav and Irina and the German national Werner Scharlau.
Maria Oleinikova declined to comment on the story due to the ongoing proceedings.
As reported by GIR (behind a paywall) a decision by the Swiss Supreme Court has revealed an ongoing investigation by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General into alleged exports of spyware software to various countries in breach of Swiss export control laws.
The investigation relates to Andrea Gambazzi, and the company Thalestris Switzerland.
The judgment itself relates to whether documents seized as part of a raid by the authorities can, or cannot, be used as part of the investigation.
The investigation is reported to have been commenced in June 2024.
Press reporting has brought to light a Spanish judgment upholding the pre-trial detention of a Georgian national named only “Alexander” who is suspected of exporting a range of goods and machinery to Russia via Turkey.
The judgment is here.
It is alleged that the individual had company seals for a range of Spanish, Turkish and Russian companies and was able to prepare documentation that gave the appearance of legitimate exports to Turkey.
WhatsApp messages, however, are said to have revealed the end-customers in Russia.
It is unclear whether this judgment relates to another Spanish investigation related to the export of machinery through third countries (see our earlier post), or is a separate investigation.
The US Department of Justice has issued a press release confirming that the Estonian authorities have transferred Estonian national Andrey Shevlyakov to US custody for extradition to the US to face 18 counts of supplying US goods and technology to Russia in breach of US sanctions.
It is being reported that Mr Shevlyakov was first detained in March 2023 as part of a joint investigation between US and Estonian authorities.
It is being reported that the National Investigation Service of Bulgaria has conducted multiple raids in Sofia and elsewhere in relation to alleged arms sales to Russia.
The raids are being conducted after information shared by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
A press release from the Prosecutor’s Office refers to raids on business and residential properties, relating to multiple companies. The only company named as the subject of the raids in the press reporting is Sage Consultants AD.
The raids were also conducted with officers from the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) and the General Directorate Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Counterterrorism.
As first reported by Global Investigations Review (behind a paywall), the UK is prosecuting two individuals for the suspected export of military goods to a range of countries including Iran, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria.
The defendants David Greenhalgh, 67, and Christos Farmakis, 47, pled not guilty to 17 charges at Southwark Crown Crown on 13 June.
The exports are said to have taken place between 2009 and 2016, with the prosecution underscoring the absence of limitation periods in the UK.
As stated by GIR:
“The defendants allegedly helped ship fighter jets, radar systems, missiles and ammunition to Libya; “battle tanks and associated spare parts”, AK-47 rifles, anti-tank missiles and ammunition to South Sudan; missiles, launchers and rocket-propelled grenades to Syria; and Pechora S-125 surface-to-air missile systems, radar equipment and MiG-29, Su-25 and Su-27 fighter jets to Sudan. …
Farmakis is further accused of being involved in the illicit supply of 5,500 AK-47 rifles and 100,000 tonnes of ammunition to Syria, as well as 25,000 pistols to an unnamed country and unspecified quantities of AK-47 rifles to South Sudan and Iran.
Greenhalgh is separately accused of helping to export Mi-24V attack helicopters to Sudan”.
Trial has been set for April 2026.
It is being reported that Latvia’s State Security Service (the VDD) has launched a criminal investigation into alleged exports of sanctioned machinery and equipment from the KLC Group to buyers in Russia via Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The investigation follows the publication of a media investigation by The Insider.
The exports, said to be equipment used for military manufacturing, are said to be valued at $1.3m and to have included products from a number of western manufacturers.
