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Yuri Zoria


Czechia to probe firms accused of arming Russia

Czech agencies will investigate companies flagged by Zelenskyy for allegedly supplying weapons-related machinery to Russia.
czechia probe firms accused arming russia šmeral brno czech machinery plant factory productiopm exports rushka counterintelligence investigate domestic companies allegedly involved exporting weapons manufacturing security information service (bis) says act
Illustrative image: Šmeral Brno a.s.
Czechia to probe firms accused of arming Russia

Czech counterintelligence will investigate domestic companies allegedly involved in exporting machinery to Russia for weapons manufacturing. The Czech Security Information Service (BIS) says it will act once official information is provided, according to iRozhlas.

Russia continues to exploit loopholes to obtain Western industrial equipment for its military production amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Earlier, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused eight Czech and thirteen German firms of continuing such exports, despite EU sanctions. A media investigation also revealed 12 Czech companies, still supplying machinery to Russia amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

On 21 June, Zelenskyy told reporters that Russia continues receiving machine tools from foreign companies, including eight based in the Czech Republic. He said these tools are used for weapons manufacturing. Though he withheld specific names, Zelenskyy stated he knows the companies involved and urged sanctions against them.

BIS awaits official list, doubts direct Czech exports

BIS spokesperson Ladislav Šticha told iRozhlas that Czech authorities have yet to receive any official list of the companies Zelenskyy mentioned.

“It is therefore very difficult to comment on which companies and goods are involved,” Šticha stated.

czechia probe firms accused arming russia šmeral brno czech machinery plant factory productiopm exports rushka counterintelligence investigate domestic companies allegedly involved exporting weapons manufacturing security information service (bis) says act
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According to him, hundreds of companies are attempting to export to Russia. Šticha added that many of the now-embargoed items were exported before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when such trade was still legal.

BIS believes it is “almost certain” none of the cases involve direct exports from the Czech Republic to Russia, as such transfers require a license and could not legally cross borders otherwise.

Third-country reexports suspected

Šticha suggested that it could be goods delivered legally before 2022 or re-exported via other countries. In some cases, companies may have sold products to “safe” nations, including EU members, not realizing they would be reexported to Russia.

Firms often argue they were unaware of subsequent resales, and it’s very difficult to prove otherwise,” Šticha noted.

Recently, Ukrainska Pravda reported that the Czech company Leseft International s.r.o., located in Ostrava, may have been involved in delivering components used in Russian rockets. Šticha declined to comment directly but confirmed:

“This company is not unknown to us.”

Sanctions evasion

According to Šticha, BIS handles dozens of cases annually where companies attempt to bypass sanctions by routing embargoed items through complex export networks. The agency cooperates with other state institutions and foreign partners to intercept such attempts.

Šticha stressed that the number of state experts is too small compared to the volume of companies attempting to skirt sanctions.

Last week, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated that based on Ukrainian-provided information, Czech authorities have found no indicators confirming the transfer of dual-use items to Russia.

Dual-use goods include products like machine tools, certain chemicals, or artificial intelligence-related software, all of which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.