Czech Company Involved in Supplying Restricted Components to Russian Missile Industry

Leseft International, a Czech company with Russian ties, has been accused of circumventing sanctions to supply critical components to Russian missile manufacturers, according to a report by the investigative group Trap Aggressor published by Ekonomichna Pravda.

The company, based in Ostrava and headed by Lev Seferyan (reportedly a Russian citizen), acts as an intermediary, facilitating the transfer of complex and sometimes restricted metallurgy and engineering products from the EU to JSC Ruspolymet, a major Russian defense supplier.

Customs data reviewed by investigators shows that since the start of the full-scale war, Leseft has facilitated shipments to Russia worth over $22 million, including goods allegedly subject to EU export restrictions.

One example cited involves a contract with Turkish firm Hps Muhendislik Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., 99% of whose deliveries were reportedly routed to Russia. The shipments included restricted items such as:

• Hydraulic motors and cylinders (HS 41221)
• Heat exchangers (HS 841950)
• Pipe and tank fittings (HS 848180, 848140)
• Static converters (HS 850440)
• Electrical switches under 1,000V (HS 853650)

In addition to direct deliveries to Russia, Leseft also acts as a conduit between Ruspolymet and companies in the EU and China. For instance, ENCE GmbH, a Swiss engineering firm, produces industrial equipment for energy and metallurgy sectors and has supplied products through Leseft.

German steelmaker SMS group GmbH also appears in records related to Leseft. While the company claims to have exited the Russian market, it admitted in response to inquiries that it had maintained operations in the country until recently and had not fully wound them down.

Producing Missiles for Russia

JSC Ruspolymet is one of Russia’s leading metallurgy and machining companies, with a full-cycle production capability from smelting to final components. Its products — particularly heat-resistant alloys — are critical for the aerospace and defense sectors, including turbojet engine parts and missile components.

The company’s clients include major Russian military-industrial firms:

• Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, a sanctioned manufacturer of launch vehicles and satellite systems
• Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, which produces Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Topol-M and Yars ICBMs
• UEC Saturn, the developer of engines for Kalibr, Iskander-K, Kh-101 and Kh-59 cruise missiles
• UEC UMPO, a producer of gas turbine engines for military aviation

Leseft International also has a subsidiary, Kronatech Impex S.R.O., registered in 2013. It is directed by Ukrainian nationals Oleh and Oksana Yarov, who also lead Aratta Invest Ltd, a company that manufactures metallurgical products, including forged components used in complex machinery.

In a response to Trap Aggressor, Oleh Yarov confirmed cooperation with Leseft but stated that his company hadn’t had any knowledge of Leseft’s relationship with Ruspolymet.