In the United States, a Russian is arrested in ammunition and technology smuggling case The US Department of Justice announces the extradition of a Russian from Estonia to New York 00:17

Arrested until 31 July

Detained in Estonia, Russian Vadim Konoshchenok was extradited to the United States on July 13, where he appeared before a federal court in Brooklyn (New York) on July 14 on charges of smuggling American technology and ammunition. reported In the press service of the US Department of Justice.

“Konoshenok, allegedly a Russian citizen and member of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), was arrested in Estonia with an arrest warrant issued in the Eastern District of New York and was extradited to the United States from Estonia on July 13, 2023.” The agency said in a statement.

So how reported Based on a statement from the federal prosecutor’s office for the Eastern District of New York, the agency RIA Novosti, the court has detained Konoschenok until the next hearing on July 31.

“He declared his innocence, he was in custody, bail was not offered,” said the spokesperson of the prosecutor’s office.

Technology, ammunition, electronics

The US Department of Justice reported that the Russian is suspected of money laundering on behalf of the Russian government and is connected to a global procurement network in the interests of Russian officials. As New York Eastern District Attorney Breon Peace noted, the Russian participated in an illegal procurement scheme for American dual-use technologies (their export to Russia was banned after February 24, 2022), ammo, and covert electronics. Russian military-industrial complex in overcoming sanctions. The Russian faces up to 30 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Rus is affiliated with Sernia Engineering LLC and Sertal LLC. The US Department of Justice refers to them as “FSB-linked” Moscow companies. The ministry believes that these companies, under US restrictive measures, purchased electronics and test equipment for the Russian Armed Forces under the leadership of Russian intelligence services. Including some developments used in the creation of nuclear weapons.

Konoshenko was detained in October 2022 while trying to ship 35 types of semiconductor and electronic components, including many American goods, from Estonia to Russia. According to the Justice Department, Konoschenok acted with the help of the Estonian front company Stonebridge Resources, communicating with other suspects in the case, discussing with them the possibility of searching, transporting American weapons and paying. Investigators managed to get the correspondence, in which the Russian called himself a colonel of the FSB and attached his photo in the official uniform.

Persons involved in the incident

The Russian was detained in Estonia on 6 December at the request of the United States. On December 14, 2022, the American side accused five Russians of helping Russian special services to evade sanctions and purchasing advanced Western electronics and equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex. Konoshchenok was among these five citizens of Russia.

In addition to Konoshchenko, 44-year-old Yevgeny Grinin from Moscow, 57-year-old Moscow Alexei Ippolitov, 52-year-old Boris Livshits from Petersburg, and 41-year-old Moscow Svetlana Skvortsova are also involved in the lawsuit. Also involved in the case are Alexei Braiman, 35, from New Hampshire, and Vadim Ermolenko, 41, from New Jersey.

At the end of 2022, the American prosecutor’s office announced that Bryman and Yermolenko were arrested in the United States. They had permanent residence permits in the country. The remaining four defendants in the case are in Russia.