Canada sanctions Streit Group over ties to Russia — Global News Canada
Canada has imposed sanctions on armored vehicle manufacturer Streit Group. The Canadian government said the company’s vehicles were used by the Russian National Guard of the aggressor state, the Russian Federation, which is involved in the war against Ukraine. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said that supplying defense products to Russian entities “continues to fuel Russia’s war machine.”
As Global News Canada reports, Streit Group was founded in Canada in the 1990s by Canadian citizen Herman Gutorov. The company later moved its headquarters and production center to the United Arab Emirates. According to the outlet, Streit Group opened an armored vehicle plant in Tatarstan in 2009, while customs records indicate that the company continued trading with Russia after its invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.
EU and Swiss sanctions
The European Union and Switzerland added Streit Group to their sanctions lists in October, while sanctions were also imposed on Gutorov in May. The EU decision states that he supports Russia’s military-industrial complex by participating in the supply of military technology and equipment.
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Gutorov challenged the European sanctions, arguing that the conclusion that he supports Russia is erroneous. There is no information about an appeal against the Canadian sanctions. Streit Group did not respond to Global News’ questions regarding its ties to Russia. The company previously said it complies with UAE legislation and denied responsibility for the modification or use of its vehicles after their sale.
Trade with Russian enterprises
According to customs records compiled by Import Genius, Streit Group received 41 shipments from Russian truck manufacturer KamAZ between 2015 and 2022, most of which were labeled as parts for KamAZ vehicles. The outlet also found data on the company’s imports of VPK-Ural armored vehicle kits from the Russian enterprise Arzamas, including after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Separately, Global News drew attention to drone production by a Streit Group subsidiary in the UAE. The Storkdrone, Wired Drone and Sea Drone models are similar in name and appearance to drones advertised by Russia’s Drone Solutions LLC, which Canada has placed on its sanctions list. Drone technology expert Senan Huligan said the devices “look identical,” but their internal design would need to be examined for a final conclusion. The outlet provides no evidence that Streit Group drones have been used in the war against Ukraine.
