A Russian man, aged 33, has been ordered to be held without bail on charges of conspiring to smuggle U.S. microelectronics to military manufacturers in Russia to support its war efforts in Ukraine. The individual, identified as Arthur Petrov, was arrested in Cyprus last August and was recently extradited to the United States.
Petrov appeared in Manhattan federal court where he agreed to remain detained. His court-appointed lawyer refrained from commenting on the multiple charges brought against him, which include conspiracy counts and smuggling goods crimes, collectively carrying a potential penalty of over 150 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney highlighted that Petrov deliberately concealed the destination of the electronics as he was aware that shipping them violated U.S. export controls related to Russia. The extradition of Petrov was seen as a strategic move by the Justice Department to restrict Russia's access to western technologies that support its military operations.
The FBI office in New York revealed that Petrov was part of a clandestine network that supplied Russia's military industrial complex with crucial U.S. technology, including microelectronics found in Russian weapons recovered from Ukrainian battlefields.
According to a criminal complaint filed in court, Russia's weapons systems heavily rely on components and microelectronics manufactured in the West, particularly in the United States. Petrov, a dual citizen of Russia and Germany residing in Russia and Cyprus, was associated with LLC Electrocom VPK, a Russia-based supplier of electronic components for Russian military equipment manufacturers.
Authorities stated that Petrov and two coconspirators fraudulently obtained large quantities of microelectronics from U.S. distributors, utilizing shell companies to conceal the materials' intended destination in Russia. Petrov falsely claimed that the items were being purchased for fire security systems and other commercial purposes for companies in Cyprus and other countries, excluding Russia.
For more updates on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, visit AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine.
