Companies of Russian origin operating in Finland have been found to export goods to Russia used in military equipment. The customers of these companies have connections with Russian services and the defense sector.
This information was reported by Yle.
Investigators identified several companies registered in Finland with ties to Russia. However, their clients are associated with Russian law enforcement agencies.
In total, about 20 companies were identified exporting components to Russia that could be used in the defense industry.
These are small logistics firms whose founders have connections with Russia, and their offices are located in small premises, mainly in the southeastern part of the country, near major logistics centers.
Supplies for the War Against Ukraine
One of the companies under scrutiny operates in the Lappeenranta region. Customs data revealed that it supplied various products to Russia, such as sensors, diesel engines, fuel pumps, and components for car transmissions.
Similar Western components were found in Russian equipment destroyed in Ukraine, but not everything falls under Western sanctions.
Links to the FSB
According to the investigation, two clients of this company have connections to the FSB, as indicated by public procurement data in Russia. One of these client companies even publicly thanked the FSB for effective cooperation on its website.
Representatives of the firm declined to comment on this information when approached by journalists.
Supply Schemes
Cases of exporting various optical and electronic equipment to Russia have also been identified, either directly or through a Finnish company acting as an intermediary in the supply chain through which the equipment reached the Russian buyer.
In particular, there are instances of supplying such equipment to Uzbekistan, considered one of the channels for selling non-sanctioned goods to Russia.
It is unknown what proportion of such sensitive equipment exported through these companies ultimately ended up in Russian military equipment. However, according to the investigation, at least nine Russian clients of these Finnish companies have connections either with the FSB or with the Russian defense-industrial complex.
Export of Metalworking Components
In another case, a Finnish company exported metalworking equipment to Russia, and information about its Russian partner revealed that among the clients were enterprises in the military-industrial complex involved in the production of reconnaissance drones and bombers.
Companies contacted for comments refused to communicate openly. Several representatives of the firms agreed to speak off the record, denying any violation of sanctions. They claimed to have no information that their products ended up in the Russian military-industrial complex.
Figures in Criminal Cases
Journalists also discovered that at least four firms highlighted in the investigation are already figures in criminal cases.
Two of these companies were sanctioned by the U.S. in the fall of 2023 because components they exported were found in Russian drones.
Regarding one of the companies, it is reported that its owner is a French citizen and a resident of Finland. According to preliminary information, he is already under arrest on suspicion of violating sanctions.
It is worth noting that at the official level, Finland provides Ukraine with defense and humanitarian assistance following the onset of full-scale military aggression by the Russian Federation.
