Austria has uncovered a sanctions evasion scheme in which a Vienna-based company supplied equipment for the production of Russian missile and fighter jet engines, bypassing European Union restrictions, the Interior Ministry announced on Monday.
The company falsified end-user certificates to supply sanctioned equipment, including special metalworking tools and computer numerical control (CNC) machines that can be used to manufacture parts and tools, the ministry’s statement said. In May, a 28-year-old Belarusian who headed the company was arrested.
The ministry, without disclosing the company’s name, reported that it concealed its shipments using a network of shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Poland, and Lithuania.
“It is unacceptable for high-precision European technologies to be directed toward the production of cruise missiles and air defense systems,” said Austria’s junior minister responsible for intelligence, Jörg Leichtfried. He added that Austria “will continue to act decisively… against those who attempt to circumvent legal prohibitions to support the Russian defense industry.”
The equipment was supplied to companies linked to the Russian state industrial conglomerate Rostec, the ministry noted. The latest findings from investigators indicate that the goods were used to manufacture military equipment, including engines for cruise missiles and fighter jets.
Details of the investigation
On the same day the main suspect was arrested, authorities seized CNC machines and specialized tools worth approximately 140,000 euros (162,000 U.S. dollars), the ministry reported. The suspect’s name is not being disclosed. He remains in custody while the investigation continues.
Evidence seized during four searches in August of last year suggests that since 2022, industrial goods worth more than 3.3 million euros have been supplied to Russian arms manufacturers, the ministry added.
Source: The Straits Times
