Kazakh Citizen Becomes Leading Importer of Optical Fiber for Russian Drones — The Insider

Kazakh citizen Yermek Suyundukov became the leading importer of optical fiber and spooling equipment for Russian drones in early 2025.

This is stated in an investigation by the Russian media outlet The Insider, which analyzed customs data for the first quarter of 2025.

The Kazakh-Russian businessman imported a record volume of materials into Russia and also certified equipment for winding optical fiber onto spools, along with other UAV components.

In total, from January to March 2025, Suyundukov delivered 120 tons of optical fiber to the Russian Federation.

Considering that a fiber spool for a drone weighs about two kilograms, this volume is enough to supply tens of thousands of drones.

The materials were delivered to the Shushary industrial area near the St. Petersburg customs office. In addition to optical fiber, the businessman imported 140,000 lithium-ion batteries worth $3.5 million and 50,000 electric motors.

During the same period, he also imported 65,000 fiber-optic communication devices, 15,000 optical lenses, 450 kg of electronic boards for video cameras, and 160 kg of propellers. Suyundukov did not respond to journalists’ inquiries.

In Russia, the businessman certified equipment from Chinese companies Dongguan Henghui Electronic Technology, Dilong New Energy Technology Hebei, and Shanghai Rui Tai Photoelectric Technology, which supply equipment for winding optical fiber onto spools. Separately, he certified ONTS-BS-1(2) bayonet connectors.

Almost the entire volume of optical fiber in 2025 was supplied by two Chinese companies: Foshan Bangyang Import and Export Co., Ltd and Hubei Guanqun Import and Export. They also declared themselves as manufacturers, although such brands do not exist on the manufacturing market.

The second-largest recipient of optical fiber in Russia was Incab LLC, which officially manufactures optical cables for civilian use. The company conducts financial transactions with Russian military enterprises JSC VNDI Signal and Tula JSC KBP Instrument Design Bureau.

Journalists posing as buyers confirmed that the Incab plant is ready to sell optical-fiber spools for drones. In addition, the company produces specialized cables for tethered balloons, which the Russian military uses as relay and surveillance platforms.

In total, optical fiber worth $9 million was imported into Russia in the first quarter of 2025, twice as much as during the same period last year. The increase in imports was also driven by the destruction of production facilities at a specialized plant in Saransk in April 2025.

Payments are made through SWIFT, other Western financial systems, crypto assets, and regional branches of the Russian bank VTB.