Russian National Guard military personnel on Red Square, Moscow, 2019. Photo: mil.ru

The Russian National Guard has spent almost a billion rubles on electronic warfare systems from China that were not fit for purpose, state-affiliated newspaper Izvestia reported on Thursday.

In November 2023, the Russian National Guard signed nine state contracts for the supply of anti-drone systems worth more than 820 million rubles (€8.9 million) with a company by the name of Oruzheynaya Palata.

A source told Izvestia that the Russian military had tried to use the Chinese equipment in the war in Ukraine, but that it didn’t work, with technical checks showing that the equipment was effectively cheap fakes.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened nine criminal cases for fraud on an especially large scale against businessman Alexey Rul, who acted as an intermediary in the deal. Criminal cases have also been opened against officials from Oruzheynaya Palata.

According to investigators, Rul’s sister bought a high-end home in the Moscow region valued at 201 million rubles (€2.2 million) in December 2023. The Investigative Committee said that neither Rul nor his sister earned enough money legally to be able to afford such expensive property. Rul has also been charged with laundering the proceeds of crime, Izvestia said.