Austria uncovers international network circumventing EU sanctions to supply Russian cruise missiles, jets
"We will continue to take decisive action, with full international cooperation, against those actors who attempt to circumvent legal prohibitions to support the Russian arms industry," Austrian State Secretary Jorg Leichtfried said.
Austrian intelligence authorities have unearthed an international network attempting to bypass EU sanctions targeting Moscow in order to supply Russian cruise missiles and fighter jets. Interior Minister Jorg Leichtfried expressed outrage over the use of advanced European technology being directed towards the development of cruise missiles and air defense systems.
An Austrian shell company was established for the purpose of exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, with computer-controlled cutters and specialized metalworking tools being the primary exports. These items were illegally shipped through countries like Belarus, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Poland, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Austrian authorities claim that forged end-user certificates were used to deceive European manufacturers into believing their products would remain in third countries, when in fact they were destined for entities linked to the Russian state-owned conglomerate Rostec. Rostec, which accounts for half of Russia's military production, produces weapons such as the Pantsir air defense system, Kh-101 cruise missile, and Iskander ballistic missile, which have been used in strikes against Ukrainian civilians.
A key figure in the scheme, a Belarusian citizen who was the managing director and co-owner of the Austrian shell company, was arrested in Austria on May 13 and 140,000 euros worth of assets were seized. The company had been supplying industrial goods for Russian military use since 2019, with deliveries to Russian arms manufacturers amounting to 3.3 million euros since 2022.
The investigation also involved a search-and-seizure operation in August 2025, during which Austrian authorities seized 40 data storage devices. Canada has announced its intention to join Ukraine and Europe in imposing sanctions on the Russian defense manufacturer Streit Group, in an effort to reduce Russia's military capabilities in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
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