Russian man jailed in Germany for illegally exporting controlled items
A Russian citizen living in Germany, charged with illegally exporting dual-use technology to Russia, has been jailed for seven years.
According to Deutsche Welle, the 68-year-old man – known as ‘Vladimir D’ – is thought to have sold millions of euros worth of embargoed technology and chemicals to Russian ‘military recipients’, violating the EU’s 2014 sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
At the trial in Hamburg, prosecutors said the technology included two isostatic hot presses, which apply high temperature and pressure to metals and ceramics in order to increase their density and performance. The technology is used to make parts for the oil and gas sector, and also for aircraft and rocket engines.
The chemicals delivered by Vladimir D to a ‘military recipient’ included an undisclosed amount of decaborane, which is used in commercial processes such as plastics manufacture but is also an ingredient in rocket propellants.
Prosecutors said Vladimir D had sold over €1.83m (£1.57m) in dual-use items to various Russian recipients between 2014 and his arrest in December 2018.
In order to avoid export controls, German authorities said he forged documents and invented fake recipients.
