The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exposed a large-scale scheme to circumvent sanctions against Russia, organized by the Kyiv Central Design Bureau of Armature Construction.
This was reported in the press service of SBU.
This enterprise develops, manufactures and supplies pipeline fittings for nuclear power plants. Until February 2022, the company exported its products to Russia through its own dealer in Moscow.
The main customer was the Russian state corporation "Rosatom", which uses pipeline fittings from Ukraine for the construction of power units at five nuclear power plants in different countries around the world.
The Kyiv Design Bureau continued to work with Russia even after the start of a full-scale war, the ban on the export of goods to the customs territory of the Russian Federation, and the introduction of sanctions against Rosatom. Controlled foreign firms were fictitious customers of Ukrainian products. SBU illustrated this scheme:
When leaving Ukraine, the goods were re-registered at "Rosatom"-controlled companies and sent to new destinations. "Rosatom" representatives certified pipe fittings manufactured in Kyiv online.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, the dealers have carried out 16 export transactions for the Russian Federation in the amount of almost 42 million hryvnias.
SBU declared the general director of the Kyiv bureau and two of his subordinates about the suspicion under Art. 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (assistance to the aggressor state). The court decided to keep them in custody without bail. Both face up to 12 years in prison.