More than 20 Finnish companies supplied Russia with equipment and technologies that the occupiers used in the military-industrial complex. These companies were managed by people connected with the Russian Federation.
The Finnish media outlet Yle writes about it.
The clients of these small logistics and forwarding companies have connections with the Russian military industry and special services, such as the FSB.
The companies operate in sheet metal warehouses and small offices, particularly in southeastern Finland, near the eastern border, and in Vantaa, which has an airport and large logistics centers.
During the full-scale war, Finnish companies supplied Russia with sensors, diesel engines, compressors, fuel pumps, transmission equipment, signal analysis devices, frequency synthesizers, optical devices, voltmeters, and more.
Some of the components that Russia received from Finland were later found in Russian destroyed equipment and weapons. These components were recognized as critical, according to the report of the Yermak-McFaul international group.
Usually they either exported goods directly to the Russian Federation, or acted as intermediaries between a foreign seller and a Russian buyer. For example, companies organized the transportation of goods from Finland to Uzbekistan, which helps Russia circumvent sanctions.
A few weeks before the start of the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war, one of the Finnish companies was responsible for the supply of more than €10 million to a client connected to the Russian defense industry. The shipments included video cameras, hard drives and other electronics.
First, in 2022, the companies increased their sales and their combined income doubled. However, in 2023, the sanctions significantly reduced the number of deliveries.
Four of these companies are involved in criminal cases, two more Finnish companies have been sanctioned by the US, as Yle writes, because they supplied components for drones ordered by the GRU.
- In December 2023, a scheme to circumvent sanctions was exposed in Finland — almost 3,500 drones were sold to Russia. The Finnish Customs Service suspects that two Finnish companies sold electronics and equipment classified as defense to Russia with a total value of €600,000.