German nationals convicted for Russian drone exports.

Two German nationals were sentenced in Stuttgart on 17 July 2024 for allegedly transporting drone components to Russia.

The defendants were a couple holding German and Russian citizenship and were not identified by the Court in line with German privacy customs.

They were accused of sending 120,000 spare parts and other components for Orlan-10 reconnaissance drones to Russia between 2020 and 2023 in violation of EU sanctions.

The sentences for the unnamed couple were:-

• The husband, 59, was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months in prison, with
• His wife a suspended sentence of 1 year and 9 months.

KEY FACTS FROM THE CONVICTIONS

• A man and his partner have delivered around 120,000 drone parts to Russia. The electrical parts have been installed in the Orlan 10 reconnaissance drone, for example. 
• The 59-year-old managing director of two companies delivered 120,000 components to companies in Russia between January 2020 and May 2023 and circumvented EU sanctions.
• The goods had been used for military purposes; the criminal senate ruled.
• One of the companies manufactured, among other things, Orlan 10 reconnaissance drones, which the Russian armed forces are using in their war of aggression against Ukraine.
• According to the indictment, the electrical components supplied are a common component of this type of drone and are covered by the European Union's Russia embargo.
• Some of the material needed for the production of drones to front companies in Russia via a company in Baden-Württemberg run by the 53-year-old, who was also convicted of the crime but which was controlled by him. From there, it then reached the end customer.
• The court estimated the proceeds generated by the sales at around 880,000 euros. The judgment ordered the confiscation of values in the corresponding amount.
• The parts supplied, such as converters, amplifiers or transistors, were purchased in Germany, among other places, according to the Senate chairwoman. False recipients were then indicated. This was to give the impression that the components would remain in Germany.
• But the items were delivered to a company in St. Petersburg. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU had tightened its sanctions again.
• The man and the woman adapted their business model and, according to the court, delivered the components to Russia via Turkey, China, or the United Arab Emirates.

SOURCE

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-sentenced-selling-electronics-russia-military-use-2024-07-17/

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/illegale-exporte-an-russland-paar-wegen-lieferung-von-drohnenteilen-verurteilt-a-3caa06b9-13ad-4614-9714-5f9561bcfcf1