Finnish public broadcaster Yle has found out that Russia is continuing to obtain components and equipment that are used in the defence industry via Finland.

Yle journalists have found a series of firms registered in Finland that have ties to Russia and whose clients appear to be related to the Russian defence industry.

There are around 20 Finnish firms that have exported to Russia components that could be used in the defence industry.

These are small logistics firms whose owners have ties to Russia and that have offices located in tiny premises in southeastern Finland near large logistical hubs.

One of the firms is based near Lappeenranta, a Finnish city located some 30 kilometres away from the Russian border. Customs information suggests that the firm supplied sensors, diesel engines, fuel pumps, and components used in car gearboxes to Russia.

Similar Western-made components have been found in Russian military equipment destroyed in Ukraine, though not all of them are subject to Western sanctions.

According to publicly available information on Russia’s purchases, two of the firm’s clients have ties to the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB). One of the client firms has even expressed gratitude to the FSB for fruitful cooperation on its website. The firm refused to respond to the journalists’ request for comment.

Journalists also found cases of optical and electronic equipment being exported to Russia, both directly and through Finnish companies.

In particular, such equipment has been supplied to Uzbekistan, which is considered to be one of the routes for selling sanctioned goods to Russia.

It is not known what share of such sensitive equipment exported through these companies ended up in Russian military equipment. However, the investigation suggests that at least nine Russian clients of these Finnish companies have links to either the FSB or the Russian defence industry. 

In another case, a Finnish company exported metalworking equipment to Russia; its Russian partner’s clients include an arms industry company that manufactures reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. 

The companies contacted for comment did not agree to speak to the journalists. Several members of the firm’s staff agreed to speak off the record. They denied that they were violating sanctions and said they had no knowledge that their products were ending up in the Russian defence industry.

The journalists also found out that at least four of the companies they looked into are already involved in criminal proceedings. In autumn 2023, two of these companies were subject to US sanctions because the components they exported ended up in Russian drones.

One of these firms is said to be owned by a French citizen resident in Finland and is allegedly already under arrest on suspicion of violating sanctions.

In December 2023, the UK government announced new sanctions against individuals and groups that are supplying and funding the Russian army and defence industry.

Earlier it was reported that several Dutch firms might use Türkiye to circumvent sanctions against Russia.