German authorities have arrested a Russian businessman and dismantled a smuggling network that supplied the Russian military industry with European technology.

German authorities have dismantled a smuggling network that supplied the Russian military industry with European technology, arresting the main suspect, a Russian businessman named Nikita S., in the city of Lubeck. The investigation, which lasted four years, revealed that the network operated through the company Global Trade, which had become a European supply hub for Moscow. This involved the export of dual-use products, including electronic components and technological equipment. After the tightening of sanctions, the network adapted its business model, using third countries, such as Turkey, to redirect goods to Russia. Investigators uncovered evidence suggesting that the equipment may have reached Russian institutes involved in the nuclear weapons program. The German intelligence service obtained internal documents that led to the identification of the network and the role of intermediary companies. Currently, seven suspects are in pre-trial detention, and prosecutors are preparing charges of violating international sanctions and commercial fraud. The case highlights the persistent weaknesses of Western sanctions.