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25 Jul 24. Montenegro: Government reshuffle will likely negatively impact government stability, EU accession. On 25 July, the US and European Commission warned against the cabinet reshuffle proposed in Montenegro on 23 June. The reshuffle would give significant powers to the pro-Russian and pro-Serbian Nationalists for the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG) coalition. As a result, ZBCG now holds multiple ministerial seats, which contrasts the initial agreement for a July reshuffle made when the coalition was formed in October 2023. Prime MinisterMilojko Spajić also included the Bosniak Party, which is traditionally opposed to the ZBCG. Whereas Spajic presents the new cabinet as a reflection of unity, the differences between the new coalition parties will likely cause policy stagnation and government instability. In addition, the government reconfiguration has created partially overlapping ministerial posts. Opposition parties and President Jakov Milatovic reacted negatively to the reshuffle. Montenegro has made significant progress in implementing rule of law reforms needed for EU accession by 2028. However, we assess that the government reconfiguration will likely slow down EU accession and increase government instability risks. (Source: Sibylline)
24 Jul 24. Joint Defence Declaration signed with Germany on 48-hr defence/diplomacy drive by defence secretary. UK Defence Secretary John Healey and German Defence Secretary Borris Pistorius walking in front of a ceremonial military guard.
• John Healey MP makes first visits as new Defence Secretary to France, Germany, Poland and Estonia.
• In Germany he signed the most comprehensive joint defence declaration agreeing to closer cooperation as the first step in a deep new UK-German defence relationship.
• Defence Secretary meets with counterparts as part of the UK Government’s reset of relationships with European Allies – and thanks UK service personnel defending NATO’s eastern border.
A new joint defence declaration with Germany has been signed by the Defence Secretary as part of a 48-hour drive of defence diplomacy, making his first visits to France, Germany, Poland, and Estonia.
Meeting counterparts across Europe, the Defence Secretary will set out the new government’s commitment to deepen defence ties with European allies, within a ‘NATO-first’ defence strategy.
It follows last week’s European Political Community Summit, hosted in the UK, where the Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired the starting gun on resetting relations with Europe.
In a demonstration of how European security is the new government’s foreign and defence priority, the Defence Secretary and his German counterpart signed a new joint declaration on closer defence cooperation. This will be the most comprehensive defence agreement that has been signed between the UK and Germany.
Our international alliances are a crucial component of a secure Britain, and domestically the Government will ensure that defence and security are at the heart of economic growth and the prosperity of the UK.
Last night, the Defence Secretary met counterparts in France, alongside the Chiefs of Defence Staff from both nations, and thanked British personnel helping to support security at the Paris Olympics.
In Germany, the Defence Secretary signed a joint declaration, committing the UK and Germany to deepen defence cooperation. This the first step of a new defence relationship between the UK and Germany and a new UK German Defence Agreement as discussed by Olaf Scholz and Keir Starmer at the recent NATO Summit.
On Thursday, the Defence Secretary will travel to Estonia to meet UK military personnel deployed to protect NATO’s eastern border with Russia. He will pay tribute to the role UK forces are playing in the region as an example of how NATO is the cornerstone of Europe’s defence. On the visit, he will present personnel with the wider service medal.
As part of the UK’s joint defence declaration with Germany today, ministers are expected to agree six defence priorities for closer working following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, recognising the need to collaborate more closely to defend our shared values and reaffirm our commitments to NATO and collective security in Europe.
Defence Secretary John Healey, said: “In our third week, this Government is getting on with the job and resetting our relationships with European Allies to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.
These visits send a clear message that European security will be this government’s first foreign and defence priority. Our new defence declaration between the UK and Germany will kickstart a deep, new defence relationship, built on our nations’ shared values. And in France, Poland and Estonia we will continue to strengthen our defence ties with our European Allies – as we all stand steadfast behind Ukraine.
It is a privilege to visit and thank our British troops defending NATO’s eastern border with Russia. Their presence and fortitude in the face of Putin’s aggression shows that NATO is the cornerstone of European defence.”
Objectives set out in Wednesday’s joint declaration include strengthening UK and German defence industries, reinforcing Euro-Atlantic security, improving the efficiency of joint operations, confronting evolving security challenges such as the cyber domain, and supporting Ukraine.
Both countries are among the biggest providers of military and economic support to Ukraine. The UK government will continue to do so by providing £3bn of military support every year until Ukraine wins and ramping up and speeding up the delivery of vital military aid. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
24 Jul 24. Australian, UK and US navies sign statement of intent for lethality. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, AO, RAN, with Chief of Naval Operations United States Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti and First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Ben Key, KCB, CBE, ADC, at the signing of the Lethality Statement of Intent at Sir James Stirling Mess, HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. Photo: CPOIS Nina Fogliani
The chiefs of navy for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have signed a statement of intent for lethality in a major strengthening of naval ties.
Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO, RAN, hosted his international counterparts, the US Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and the UK First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ben Key KCB CBE ADC, at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia and signed the document ahead of the Indian Ocean Defence and Security 2024 Conference in Perth this week.
The signed statement of intent for lethality documents the three navies’ collective commitment to the enhanced lethality of their surface combatant and submarine fleets.
The visit is the first time Admiral Franchetti and Admiral Key have visited HMAS Stirling, which will play a role in Australia’s future fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.
The three chiefs received a tour of the base’s facilities, followed by a meet-and-greet with Australian submariners onboard a Collins Class submarine.
The visit finished with a showcase of the Royal Australian Navy’s most contemporary and cutting-edge autonomous systems capabilities.
“Today, my counterparts and I reaffirmed our philosophy of putting our partnership into action and continue to build on the historic friendship between our navies,” Chief of the Royal Australian Navy VADM Hammond said.
“Our navies operate on shared behaviours, shared values, and a shared commitment to the success and security of the Indo-Pacific region.
“Working together is how we get the best outcomes for our navies and nations, through personnel exchange programs and operational interchangeability at sea. Only this month, we had our first Royal Australian Navy officers graduating from the Royal Navy’s Nuclear Reactor Course.
“This year our technicians have been training and learning unique skills with the US Navy in Guam and embedded onboard the US Submarine Tender, USS Emory S Land (AS 39).”
AUKUS is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring together the exceptional capabilities of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to US Navy Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Franchetti.
“We will continue to build on our relationship, strengths, and interoperability, while at the same time uplifting the industrial bases of our three countries,” Admiral Franchetti said.
“We will bring to bear the innovative spirit of our three nations while significantly bolstering our posture in the Indo-Pacific, contributing to security and stability, and maintaining the rules-based international order in this critical region and around the globe.”
The progress AUKUS has made builds on longstanding, deep-rooted relationships, reflecting the unique level of trust and cooperation between the three countries, according to UK Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Key.
“We celebrate the success of AUKUS thus far and look forward to continue the collective delivery on our commitment,” Admiral Key said.
“AUKUS is a strategically important capability collaboration, allowing us to pool expertise to accelerate the development of cutting-edge defence capabilities in a way that we could not do alone.
“Alongside the USN, the RN is committed to ensuring the RAN can build on its proven experience of operating conventional powered submarines to be nuclear capable as well. We have recently welcomed RAN personnel onto our nuclear courses and to serve in our Astute Class submarines and we look forward to sharing the next generation of SSNs in a collaborative build program which will shape our partnership for many decades to come.”
(Source: Defence Connect)
24 Jul 24. NATO finds gaping holes in Europe’s defences. The war in Ukraine and the looming U.S. presidential election dominated a NATO summit in Washington this month but, away from the public stage, the alliance’s military planners have been focused on assessing the enormous cost of fixing Europe’s creaking defences.
NATO leaders agreed plans last year for the biggest overhaul in three decades of its defence capabilities, amid growing fears of Russian aggression. Behind the scenes, officials have since been poring over the minimum defence requirements to achieve those plans, which were sent to national governments in recent weeks, according to one military planner, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The minimum requirements detail the shortfalls in NATO armies in key areas, providing a rough indication of how many bns of euros it could cost to fix, the military planner said. NATO aims to convert these requirements into binding targets for individual governments to provide for the defence of Europe by autumn 2025, when it holds a regular meeting of defence ministers.
Reuters spoke to 12 military and civilian officials in Europe about the classified plans, who outlined six areas the 32-nation alliance has identified as the most pressing to address.
These include shortages in air defences and long-range missiles, troop numbers, ammunition, logistical headaches and a lack of secure digital communications on the battlefield, the conversations with NATO officials showed.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters more freely. NATO hasn’t publicly given an estimate of the overall costs.
The findings show NATO faces a slog to achieve its goals at a time when its unity could be tested by budgetary constraints among senior European members, and differences over how hawkish its stance on Russia should be.
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Crucially, this year’s U.S. presidential election has raised the spectre that NATO’s preeminent power may be led by a man critical of the alliance – former President Donald Trump – who has accused European partners of taking advantage of U.S military support.
At the July 9-11 Washington summit, some European policymakers publicly acknowledged that, regardless of who wins November’s election, the continent will need to hike its military spending.
“We need to recognize that for America, whatever the result of the presidential election, the priority is increasingly going to shift to the Indo-Pacific, so that the European nations in NATO must do more of the heavy lifting,” British Defence Secretary John Healey said on the sidelines of the summit.
In response to Reuters’ questions, a NATO official said the alliance’s leaders had agreed in Washington that in many cases expenditure beyond 2% of GDP would be needed to remedy shortfalls. He noted that 23 members now meet the 2% minimum requirement, or exceed it.
“Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. elections, European Allies will need to continue to increase their defence capabilities, forces’ readiness and ammunition stocks,” the NATO official said.
NATO is at its highest alert stage since the Cold War, with its more pessimistic officials, including German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, warning that an attack by Russia on its borders could happen within five years.
While the Russian economy is already on a war footing, European governments may face resistance if they demand more money for defence spending from taxpayers reeling from a cost-of-living squeeze to prepare for a war that seems a distant prospect to many, analysts say.
“We may expect to see a political backlash materialise, especially if politicians try to explain away cuts elsewhere with increased defence budgets,” Eurointelligence, a news and analysis service focused on the EU, said in a July 12 note.
HEAVY LIFTING
NATO’s first serious overhaul since the end of the Cold War will pivot the alliance back to the defence of Europe against a possible Russian attack, after years of more distant missions in the likes of Afghanistan.
Reuters has previously reported that NATO planners believe it will need between 35 and 50 extra brigades to withstand a Russian attack. A brigade consists of 3,000 to 7,000 troops, which would mean anywhere from 105,000 to 350,000 soldiers.
It means, for example, that Germany would need 3-5 extra brigades or 20,000 to 30,000 additional combat troops, the source said, effectively one more division on top of the three divisions Berlin is working to equip at the moment.
The defence ministry in Berlin declined to comment on classified plans.
Echoing U.S. officials, many European policymakers – including Britain’s Healey – are already saying that defence spending will have to top the alliance’s current target of 2% of GDP.
Tuuli Duneton, undersecretary for defence policy in Estonia – one of Europe’s most hawkish governments – suggested in an online briefing on July 2 ahead of the Washington gathering that next year’s NATO summit should discuss raising the spending goal to either 2.5% or 3%.
The U.S. is by far the largest contributor to NATO operations. According to NATO estimates published in June, the United States will spend $967.7 bn on defence in 2024, roughly 10 times as much as Germany, the second-largest spending country, with $97.7bn. Total NATO military expenditures for 2024 are estimated at $1,474.4bn.
Trump’s selection in July of Senator J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running partner – who opposes aid to Ukraine and has criticised NATO partners as “welfare clients” – stirred concern in some European capitals.
Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon spokesperson, said the U.S. supported European allies’ efforts to increasing defense spending to at least the 2% of GDP target, and noted they had already made significant progress in boosting budgets.
“NATO’s regional defense plans involve enhancing readiness and flexibility across the Alliance. We remain committed to contributing significantly to these efforts,” Dietz told Reuters.
Under the new defence plans, Germany will need to quadruple its air defences – not just the number of Patriot batteries but also shorter-range systems – to protect bases, ports and more than 100,000 troops expected to cross the country on their way to the eastern flank in the event of severe tensions or a war, one security source told Reuters.
Germany had 36 Patriot air defence units when it was NATO’s frontline state during the Cold War and even then it relied on support from NATO allies. Today, German forces are down to 9 Patriot units, after donating three to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022 and need to drastically scale up.
The cost will be considerable. Berlin just ordered four Patriot units at a price tag of 1.35bn euros.
In a sign of the budgetary challenges already weighing on Europe’s largest economy, Germany is planning to halve its 2025 military aid to Ukraine. Berlin instead hopes Ukraine will be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50 bn in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets approved by the Group of Seven, Reuters reported.
EUROPE NEEDS TO ‘BARE ITS TEETH’
Logistics planners are getting down to brass tacks, working out how to transport food, fuel and water to troops along a supply line, a senior NATO official said, with a second official pointing out that a reverse flow of wounded troops and prisoners of war will also have to be organized.
“They are developing the maps in granular detail with allies,” the official said, making sure, for example, that bridges were sturdy enough to bear heavy military loads.
Another military planning source sketched out a scenario where enemy forces might target the U.S. air base in Ramstein in southwest Germany, or North Sea ports such as Bremerhaven through which NATO forces would travel en route to Poland.
“How do I protect those masses so that they don’t turn into valuable targets?” the source said. “Otherwise, they will be the first and the last Americans to deploy here.”
Whereas tens of thousands of NATO and Soviet troops faced off directly along the inner-German border during the Cold War, deploying troops now will take longer with the frontline of any conflict likely to be further east – up to 60 days, including the time to get a political decision, according to the first military planner.
Europe does not have enough rail capacity to move tanks, and railway gauges vary between Germany and ex-Soviet Baltic states, meaning weapons and equipment would have to be loaded onto different trains.
The first NATO planning official said cyber defences need to be strengthened to protect against a hacking attack that could affect possible deployments, for example, in Poland that could jam railways switches and halt troop movements eastward.
That makes speedy decision-making and a reliable checklist of red flags, indicating an imminent Russian attack, essential.
NATO planners have sharpened a double-digit number of early warning indicators of what might constitute the precursor to a full-blown Russian invasion, the first NATO planning source told Reuters, without providing further details.
Europe would need to be prepared to “bare its teeth” and move combat-ready troops right up to the potential frontline in response to Russian military movements if needed as a deterrent, but also to pick up the fight instantly should tensions turn into a war, the planning source said.
23 Jul 24. Austin Discusses NATO, Ukraine, Military Cooperation With Estonian Counterpart.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III today hosted Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur in discussions at the Pentagon, just a week and a half after the conclusion of the NATO summit in Washington.
The two men discussed, among other things, strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense, continued joint exercises between the two nations, U.S. rotational presence in Estonia and other Baltic states, increased defense production and the continued illegal presence of Russia in Ukraine.
“Putin’s war of choice continues to threaten our shared security,” Austin said. “The United States and Estonia, along with our allies and partners, continue to stand strong for a free and sovereign Ukraine. And you’ve shown outstanding support for Ukraine, including your security assistance contributions.”
Austin commended the minister for Estonia’s military modernization and its investment in new military capabilities, which he said are critical for deterring attacks and building readiness.
“I applaud Estonia’s pledge to invest more than 3% … of your GDP on your national defense,” he said. “That just underscores Estonia’s dedication to transatlantic security.”
The U.S. has some 600 troops in Estonia on a rotational basis, and Austin thanked Pevkur for supporting those troops.
“The United States remains committed to maintaining our persistent rotational force presence in the Baltics, and our rotation of U.S. forces through Estonia shows how serious we are about Estonia’s defense,” he said. “I’m also pleased that our troops in Estonia enjoy such a rich, multinational training environment. And our civil-military interaction teams have been working together to strengthen our people-to-people ties.”
Continued U.S. military presence in Europe and Baltic states, Pevkur said, also remains critical to deterring further Russian aggression.
“We are very, very grateful for this continued, persistent heel-to-toe U.S. presence in Estonia and in the other Baltic states,” Pevkur said. “I would like to take this occasion to thank all the U.S. servicemen and women who have rotated to Estonia over the past year and a half and also their families and close ones for the support.”
The Estonian minister also said that today’s security environment means that a 2% defense spending target for NATO allies is no longer enough, and he called for more.
“We, therefore, need to discuss and agree to higher spending targets, such as 2.5% or 3%,” Pevkur said. “And this could be a concrete deliverable for NATO’s 2025 summit in The Hague .”
Already, Estonia is spending 3% on defense, the Estonian defense minister said, but recent negotiations have resulted in a decision to spend even more.
“We go above 4% in 2026, maybe even 4.4% 4.5%, depending on the economy,” he said. “But … we will invest a lot. And 40% of that money we will invest directly to ammunition and fires the new capabilities. We are doing our share to keep the alliance safe.”
In the coming years, Pevkur said, NATO allies must focus on scaling up the delivery of military capabilities, such as air defense and fires, and must also increase defense industrial capacity.
Finally, Pevkur thanked Austin for his leadership on the combined effort to provide capabilities to Ukraine and for security cooperation in Estonia. He told Austin that Estonian President Alar Karis had agreed to award Austin with a national award, the Second Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana. Pevkur bestowed the award on Austin following their discussions. (Source: U.S. DoD)
23 Jul 24. The British army has three years to prepare for war, according to its new chief, as he announced an ambitious reform programme to get the force fighting fit for modern warfare. General Sir Roly Walker said on Tuesday there was an urgent need to modernise the British army because of the “converging geopolitical threats” of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. “We are not on an inexorable path but what we do have is an absolute urgency to restore credible hard power in order to underwrite deterrence,” Walker said on the sidelines of a British army conference. He called his reforms “a not-war plan” that would give the UK a military powerful enough to deter adversaries and make them think twice. Walker said Russia would emerge from the war in Ukraine “very, very dangerous” and seeking revenge, however the conflict might eventually end. “The lesson from history is the Russians don’t forget, and they will come back . . . wanting retribution for the support that was given to Ukraine,” he told reporters at the event hosted by the Royal United Services Institute think-tank in London. Walker, who became head of the British army in June, said the three-year timeline was based on a convergence of factors. First was Russia’s ability to reconstitute its army, which western officials estimate could take between three and five years following any ceasefire in Ukraine. The second was that China’s President Xi Jinping has stated he “wants a military option for Taiwan by 2027-28”, Walker said. The third is Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons. “That’s why you get to this middle point of 2027-28,” Walker added. “A problem in one [country] is likely to trigger a sympathetic detonation in another . . . It’s a global problem.” Walker’s sober assessment of the threats facing western countries comes as the UK’s new government last week launched a review of the British military before committing to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, from about 2.3 per cent now. His comments also came after Britain’s defence secretary John Healey told the conference that the state of the UK armed forces was “much worse” than he had thought while in opposition. Walker said under his reform plans, the British army would aim to double its “lethality” within three years and treble it by 2030. To do that, he said the UK’s land force had to shed its “big army mindset” and embrace new technologies powered by artificial intelligence-driven software. Walker said he wanted to create “an internet of military things” that would enable the British army to sense threats from “twice as far [away], decide in half the time, and deliver effects over double the distance with half as many munitions”. He admitted there were “numerous challenges, which I don’t want to wish away”. But Walker cited the example of Ukraine’s military, which has repelled far larger Russian forces with the help of western military aid and “smart software that is coming from British coders”. “This is not science fiction,” he added. “If we can double then triple our fighting power, any British land force will be able to destroy a force at least three times its size and keep on doing that.” With just 75,000 troops, the UK army is currently its smallest size since the mid-19th century. But Walker said modern technology and smart ammunition such as drone swarms and precision missiles with multiple warheads meant that size was an incorrect way of measuring an army’s effectiveness. “Some still believe that raw troop numbers alone determine fighting power. That is out of date,” Walker said. “I don’t need any more troops and I don’t need any more money.”(Source: FT.com)
23 Jul 24. Slovakia gets first new F-16s to boost air defence. Slovakia received on Monday the first two of 14 new F-16 fighter jets that will replace Russian-made planes it had already donated to Ukraine.
Slovakia has relied on central European neighbours for air patrols since last year when it handed over a dozen MiG-29 fighters, which were to be grounded due to a lack of parts and maintenance, but which Kyiv could use in its war with Russia.
Slovakia had officially taken over the first jets, made by Lockhead Martin (LMT.N), earlier this year but they had stayed in the United States for maintenance training.
Slovakia signed a deal in 2018 for the 14 jets, worth around $1.6bn. The first deliveries are a year late after delays during the COVID pandemic. The jets have become more important as NATO bolsters its eastern flank and neighbouring Ukraine fights a Russian invasion. (Source: Reuters)
19 Jul 24. NATO’s Nuclear Deterrence Posture Seen as Robust.
NATO has put a lot of effort and resources into its nuclear deterrence mission, said Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Vipin Narang, who spoke today at a virtual Center for a New American Security fireside chat on Adapting NATO’s Nuclear Posture to Current Threats.
Narang said that overall, he’d give NATO’s nuclear posture a grade of A-plus. He provided some examples:
• The U.S. and the Netherlands have fielded the first nuclear-certified F-35A jets.
• The legacy B-61 nuclear weapons are being replaced by upgraded ones.
• NATO has reinvigorated its nuclear consultations and planning.
• The transition to the Sentinel ICBM from the Minuteman III will continue.
The transition to Sentinel is crucial to national security, Narang said.
NATO has superior conventional forces, as compared with Russia, and three of its member states, the U.S., the United Kingdom and France, all have nuclear weapons.
The United States has an impressive nuclear triad consisting of intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines and bomber aircraft, he said, noting that each leg of the triad has its own inherent strengths.
The robust nuclear and conventional forces of NATO are vital to deterring conflict.
If nuclear weapons are employed against NATO, it will be necessary to support and sustain the conventional fight and a potential nuclear response at the same time, he said.
“We have to build all that resilience and redundancy into the conventional forces to be able to enable nuclear operations should it become necessary,” he said.
In the event that Russia were to employ non-strategic nuclear weapons, Narang said he believes that “you will see coherence and unity in the NATO alliance” and there would be severe consequences as President Joe Biden has consistently stated.
A lot of effort within NATO has gone into planning for outcomes such as this, he added.
Narang also touched on concerns about North Korea and China’s growing nuclear arsenal and their lack of transparency and communications with the West. “Our outreach China on strategic stability talks has been rebuffed.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
22 Jul 24. German Court Convicts Russian-German Couple of Supplying Electronics for Russian Drones.
A verdict has been passed in Germany in a case involving the supply of electronic spare parts for Orlan-10 drones to Russia in violation of the EU embargo. A citizen of Germany and the Russian Federation received a prison sentence of six years and nine months in this case.
His common-law wife, who was also involved in the case, received a suspended sentence of one year and nine months for assisting in the commission of the crime. She also had German and Russian citizenship. The verdict was passed by one of the Higher Courts of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart and can still be appealed to the Supreme Court of Germany.
The judges concluded that the 59-year-old defendant supplied electronic components to the Russian company 54 times between 2020 and March 2023. The Russian national worked as a bus driver for 15 years and also traded in electronics. Through his company Industrial Components ICW in Heusweiler, he sold transistors and other spare parts in large quantities to Russian companies associated with the Russian defense industry. Many of the spare parts were used in the production of Orlan-10 drones used in the war against Ukraine.
The High Court in Stuttgart found that the former bus driver had “significant criminal energy”. After the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine, he moved on to conducting transactions with Russia through front companies in Hong Kong, China, the UAE and Turkey. Transformers, amplifiers and transistors were purchased in Germany, but forwarded to recipients with false addresses. This created the impression that some of them remained in Germany. However, the electronic components eventually ended up in St. Petersburg.
Together with his 54-year-old accomplice, the convicted man supplied Russia with about 120,000 parts for drones used in the war in Ukraine. In total, both earned about 900,000 euros from their business. The money was confiscated by a court decision.
An ethnic German with dual citizenship who had previously moved from Russia to Germany was arrested in March 2023 and has been in pretrial detention since then. His accomplice was also initially placed in pretrial detention, but was later released. Due to the great importance of the case, the investigation was conducted by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Germany, which drew up the indictment.
The defendants partially admitted their guilt, which shortened the time for hearing the testimony and was taken into account as a mitigating circumstance. The common-law wife and accomplice of the former bus driver and businessman received a suspended sentence, also taking into account her poor health. The convicted man had previously been politically active in the Left Party, which advocates ending the war through a truce and condemns the supply of weapons to Ukraine. (Source: UAS VISION/Radio Free Europe)
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