German federal prosecutors have executed a major operation against an illicit procurement network allegedly supplying Russian defense companies, resulting in five arrests across northern Germany. The operation targeted individuals accused of systematically violating EU sanctions imposed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The detained suspects, all German nationals with two holding dual Russian citizenship and one additional Ukrainian citizenship, face charges of criminal organization membership and breaching Germany’s Foreign Trade and Payments Act. Law enforcement conducted simultaneous raids in Lübeck and Lauenburg district, with additional searches executed at multiple properties nationwide. Five additional suspects remain at large according to official statements.
At the center of the investigation is Nikita S. (identified under German privacy conventions), a German-Russian dual national who operates a trading company based in Lübeck. Prosecutors allege this enterprise served as the primary vehicle for procuring and exporting goods to Russian defense industries. The sophisticated operation employed fabricated companies within Lübeck and established fictitious clients both inside and outside the EU to conceal transactions and circumvent sanctions.
Evidence indicates Russian state agencies orchestrated the network, which supplied at least 24 Russian defense contractors. The scale of operations involved approximately 16,000 separate shipments to Russia with an estimated value exceeding €30 million ($35.5 million). While prosecutors have not disclosed the specific nature of the exported goods, the investigation highlights ongoing challenges in enforcing sanctions against Russia’s military-industrial complex.