German Businessman Sentenced for Violating Russia Embargo

A Stuttgart court has sentenced a company executive to seven years in prison for illegally supplying machinery to a Russian arms manufacturer.

The 56-year-old businessman sold machines used to produce sniper rifles, breaching EU trade restrictions imposed after Crimea's annexation.
He earned €2.1 million from these transactions, while a Swiss holding company he controlled gained an additional €3 million.
The court has confiscated all profits from the illegal sales, amounting to €5.1 million in total.
The businessman was arrested in France in August 2023 under a European arrest warrant and remains in custody.
He used third-party companies in Switzerland and Lithuania to disguise the true destination and purpose of the machinery.