New York, 1 November 2023 (TDI): Three dual Russian nationals who allegedly sent $10 million in military technology to Russia to aid the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine were arrested on Tuesday in New York City, federal prosecutors said.
Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52, a resident of Brooklyn, and Nikolay Goltsev, 37, and Kristina Puzyreva, 32, a couple from Montreal, are charged with collaborating with sanctioned businesses connected to the Russian military to transport supplies for building weaponry platforms and intelligence tools utilized in attacks against Ukraine.
Breon Peace, US Attorney, said in a statement, “As alleged, the defendants evaded sanctions, shipping equipment to Russia vital for their precision-guided weapons systems, some of which has been used on the battlefield in Ukraine.”
“These defendants are alleged to have illegally exported millions of dollars in electronics to support the Kremlin in its ongoing attacks of Ukraine,” Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, Ivan J. Arvelo added.
The US Attorney’s Office stated that Goltsev contacted US companies under an alias for which he allegedly received orders from Russian defense and technology sectors.
Furthermore, Nasriddinov and Goltsev bought the tech and then sent it to intermediary companies in other parts of the world, including Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates before the goods reached Russia, according to prosecutors.
Also Read: Russian President advocates independent Palestinian state for regional Peace
The Russian dual nationals Goltsev and Nasriddinov, prosecutors said, “were aware that the electronics being shipped had potential military applications,” prosecutors said.
In February, 2023, Nasriddinov wrote to Goltsev in a message: ‘Happy Defender of the Fatherland,’ which refers to the holiday in Russia and many parts of the former Soviet Union celebrating those who served in the armed forces, they added.
Goltsev replied, “Happy holiday to you too my friend, we are defending it in the way that we can (with a smile emoji)”, prosecutors said.
