Finnish companies suspected of supplying almost 3500 UAVs to Russia

5 December, 2023 Launch of Orlan-10 UAV. Photo from open sources Two companies from Finland are suspected of supplying products that may be subject to EU sanctions, including drones, to Russia.

The Finnish customs reported on this. According to the agency, the companies could have exported electronics and equipment related to defense technologies worth over three million euros to Russia. In particular, these include almost 3,500 drones worth more than EUR2 million.

According to the customs declarations, the cargoes were in transit through Russian territory to another country, but there are suspicions that they stayed in Russia.

Illustration on the topic of UAVs

According to the agency, the two Finnish companies are run by the same responsible person, who is now in custody. The customs suspect that one of the companies acted as a purchaser of the sanctioned goods. The other one was a supplier of these goods to Russia.

Currently, a total of six suspects are involved in this case. Customs does not disclose the citizenship or other information about the suspects. Probably, these are the Finnish companies Luminor and Siberica, which have been supplying foreign electronics to Russia since March last year, bypassing the sanctions.

Gabriel Temin, executive director of these companies, is suspected of serious economic crimes. The companies headed by him are included in the anti-Russian sanctions list by the United States authorities. In addition, the U.S.

Department of the Treasury imposed personal sanctions on Temin and Catherine Esther Temin, who held a senior position at Siberica.

Orlan-10 UAV engine.

Photo from open sources

An entrepreneur was previously arrested in Germany for supplying drone engines to Russia for almost EUR2 million.