Latvia’s Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release regarding bringing a criminal prosecution before the Riga City Court against an Estonian-Russian dual national for attempting to transport 10,000 items of ammunition into Russia.
The shipment was stopped at the Terekhov Customs crossing. As part of a search of the truck the bullets were found hidden within the driver’s cab of the truck.
After a Russian vessel had engine trouble and entered Swedish territorial waters, Swedish Customs boarded the vessel and commenced an investigation into whether possible sanctions or export control offences may have been committed.
The vessel, the Adler, is designated under EU sanctions, and the owner sanctioned by the US. It is reported that the cargo included arms and military equipment.
It is now being reported that the vessel has been allowed to depart Swedish waters, after the Prosecutor’s Office declined to open a criminal investigation, on the basis that there was no intent to being the vessel or its goods into Sweden.
The website containing published judgments from the Estonian courts has published a number of judgments relating to convictions for sanctions offences.
1. Conviction of Adilov Mubariz on 23 July 2025
Decision: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/kohtulahendid/detailid.html?id=413740161
This individual was convicted of importing a few hundred Russian cigarettes into Estonia in breach of Article 3(i)(1) of EU Regulation 833/2014. This was a second offence.
The man was given a 3-month jail term, suspended for a 12-month probation period, and ordered to pay €798.42.
2. Conviction of Alus Grupp OÜ and Taras Potapov on 18 September 2025
Decision: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/kohtulahendid/detailid.html?id=419399125
Mr Popatov was convicted of aiding and abetting the provision of a service related to a prohibited strategic good, namely resonance testing machines used in the aviation and aerospace industries. These are dual use goods
The company Alus Grupp is a freight forwarder and Mr Popatov was one of its directors.
Another Estonian company and its director purchased the equipment from a supplier in Switzerland and sold them to Russian customers. The invoices showed that the intended ultimate customer was a Russian company. Alus Grupp and its director, being aware of the ultimate customer, on multiple occasions transported the goods to Kazakhstan. On other occasions an intermediary based in the UAE was inserted.
Mr Popatov was convicted. At the time of his conviction he had already served 5 months in jail. Pursuant to an agreement with the prosecution, the remainder of his 5-year sentence was suspended subject to a 5-year probation period. He was also ordered to pay a penalty of €2,215.
The company was also convicted and given a fine of €100,000 with a further €200,000 suspended for a 5-year probation period.
The judgment gives a detailed account of the exporting arrangements. It appears that other prosecutions of the actual exporting parties are ongoing.
3. Conviction of Anna Shmeljova on 14 October 2025
Decision: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/kohtulahendid/detailid.html?id=422536761
Ms Shmeljova was convicted of multiple offences including exporting luxury goods to Russia, namely clothing and hockey skates, and importing cigarettes.
She was ordered to pay €2,215, and given a five-month jail sentence suspended for a one year probation period.
4. Conviction of Marine Technics Baltia OÜ and Daniil Haitin on 5 November 2025
Decision: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/kohtulahendid/detailid.html?id=424933869
Mr Haitin was convicted of four offences and sentenced to 4 years and eleven months in jail. This sentence was suspended for a 5 year probation period. He was ordered to pay €2,215.
The company Marine Technics was convicted of two offences and ordered to pay €160,000, as well as €13,251.65.
The offences related to exports of gas generators, alternators, propulsion systems, thermal cameras and other equipment to Russia, including to military end-users such as Kalashnikov Concern, and the Russian Ministry of Defence.
False end-user certificates were prepared showing purported customers in Turkey.
The offending had taken place between 2017 and 2019.
The judgment notes that the court had prevented the merger or winding up of Marine Technics Baltia OÜ for the duration of the investigation in order to be able to secure a conviction and penalty.
The judgment gives a detailed account of the exporting arrangements.
The UK’s HMRC has published a Notice to Exporters reporting on a compound penalty agreed with an unnamed UK exporter.
The penalty was £620,515.04. The conduct giving rise to the penalty is described as “unlicensed exports of military goods controlled by the Export Control Order 2008”.
No other information is provided.
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.
It is being reported that the Danish authorities have charged a company and two senior executives with suspected exports of components for military goods to Russia.
The investigation is reported to have started in 2023 and included raids in December of that year. The investigators also obtained permission to obtain phone taps on the phones of the two executives.
The exports are alleged to have been shipped via China.
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.
Yesterday the UK’s HMRC issued a Notice to Exporters publishing three recent compound penalties issued to exporters.
In line with HMRC policy when agreeing to a compound penalty resolution, the information provided on the offending, the offender, and the co-operation provided is limited, although in this instance it is specified that the penalties do not relate to sanctions breaches. The detail available states:
The settlements relate to unlicensed exports of military-listed goods and related activity prohibited by The Export Control Order 2008 and contrary to The Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. These do not relate to sanctions offences.
The 3 settlements agreed with UK companies were:
