Five Russian nationals and two U.S. nationals were charged with conspiring to procure military technology to circumvent sanctions.

The U.S. Department of Justice made a relevant statement.

Charges were announced on 16 counts. Those include a conspiracy to obtain military-grade and dual-use technologies for Russia’s defense sector.

“We have disrupted the procurement network allegedly used by the defendants and Russian intelligence services to smuggle sniper rifle ammunition and sensitive electronic components into Russia. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce our economic sanctions and export controls against those who enable the Russian government to continue its unjust war in Ukraine,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland commented on the decision of the Brooklyn Federal Court.

It is noted that some of the components purchased and exported by the defendants could have been used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons.

The U.S. nationals defendants include Alexey Brayman and Vadim Yermolenko, along with Russian nationals Yevgeniy Grinin, Aleksey Ippolitov, Boris Livshits, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Vadim Konoshchenok.

The defendants were affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, which the U.S. Department of Justice claims to be connected to Russian intelligence services.

How the group operated

According to the investigation, Ippolitov received requests from Russian end users and relayed them to Grinin and Skvortsova, who were both Sertal employees.

Grinin and Skvortsova secured funding and shipping routes for the transactions and tasked Livshits with purchasing the items from U.S. companies.

Livshits opened and controlled a variety of shell companies and associated bank accounts. He also used them to coordinate with Konoshchenok, Brayman, and Yermolenko.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Justice considers Vadim Konoshchenok to be an officer of the FSS of the Russian Federation.

According to the released information, he was shipping contraband U.S.-origin items, including dual-use electronics, from Estonia to the Russian Federation.

Estonian law enforcement officers arrested him on December 6 at the request of the United States; he is awaiting extradition.

Brayman surrendered to the FBI, and Yermolenko was arrested in New Jersey. The rest of the defendants are still at large.

The FBI is investigating the case.

As previously reported, Reuters released a joint investigation with RUSI regarding the Russian companies purchasing electronics necessary for the production of weapons.