A scheme to smuggle technology to the Russian defense industry has been uncovered in Germany — Politico
On May 19, German law enforcement authorities uncovered a network supplying dual-use components to Russia, which, according to the investigation, were being shipped via third countries, including Turkey. A 39-year-old businessman was arrested in Lübeck on suspicion of organizing a scheme to circumvent sanctions and supply European technology to the Russian military-industrial complex. Documents that may confirm the illegal shipments were seized during the searches.
Politico reports on this.
This arrest was the result of a four-year investigation by a joint network of reporters from Axel Springer, Bild, and Politico, which confirmed the existence of loopholes in the sanctions regime that allow end users in Russia to be concealed using fictitious documentation. Nikita S. is currently in custody and faces up to 10 years in prison for violating Germany’s Foreign Trade Act.
According to the investigation, the core of the scheme was the German trading company Global Trade from Lübeck, which exported products directly to Russia until 2022 and changed its model after sanctions were tightened. The sanctioned Russian company “Kolovrat” (also known as “Siderius”), which is linked to the Russian defense sector, continued to manage it from Moscow. Nikita S., having become the director of Global Trade in March 2022, served as the link between the entities. Kolovrat employees had access to the German firm’s corporate email and, using fictitious names, ordered microcontrollers, sensors, oscilloscopes, ball bearings, and measuring equipment from European suppliers, which were subsequently delivered to Russian defense industry enterprises and nuclear research institutes.
Due to the impossibility of direct export, shipments were routed through third countries. The Turkish company MR Global served as the central transit hub. German front companies were also used, such as ER Industriebedarf GmbH, headed by Russian citizen Oigen R., and Amtech Solutions, founded in May 2025 by Daniel A. Internal correspondence indicates a deliberate effort to cover their tracks: Nikita S. demanded that references to Russia be deleted, documents be removed from boxes before shipment, and recipients be changed to Turkey. In total, the file “Nikita’s Order List” recorded approximately 16,000 shipments worth over 30 million euros. Olga S. helped coordinate the process by receiving photos of shipping documents under a pseudonym; however, she is currently listed as a witness in the case.
The scheme was documented after the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) gained access to Kolovrat’s internal systems. Intelligence identified supply chains, including the transfer of equipment to the All-Russian Institute of Automation (VNIIA), which is involved in Russia’s nuclear program. The BND shared this data with prosecutors and customs officials, who compared European export reports with Russian import data and tracked the flow of funds.
In addition to Nikita S., Oigen R., and Daniel A., the former head of Global Trade, Boris M., is in custody; despite being dismissed in 2022, he retained power of attorney and managed daily operations. BND assessments indicate that this network was part of a broader supply system: specifically, another Russian company, Rokem Services, attempted to obtain German equipment for desalination plants—which can be used on nuclear submarines—through Global Trade. Spokespersons for the BND and German customs authorities confirmed that combating the circumvention of sanctions via third countries remains a key focus for European agencies.
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