Svenska Yle reveals that a Finnish company has exported radar apparatus to Kazakhstan. However, there are several questions about this equipment. Has the radar equipment been transferred to Russia or is it being used by the Russian air force in Kazakhstan?
At the beginning of 2023, Finnish customs received a 2.5-tonne consignment to be sent to Lithuania. According to the customs declaration, the consignment went there, to Lithuania, and, from there, across the border to Belarus.
Six months later, Svenska Yle obtained leaked Lithuanian customs documents for that consignment. According to the documents, it was radar apparatus that a Finnish company had exported via Lithuania to Kazakhstan.
In our series “Under the radar – export fraud to Russia”, we uncover some of the quirks of this shipment.
Russia may be interested in radar apparatus, so exports to Kazakhstan are a matter of interest. Radar apparatus is on the list of EU sanctions imposed against Russia.
Therefore, it is prohibited to send radar apparatus directly from the EU and Finland to Russia. However, transport of such goods to Russia can be arranged through Kazakhstan.
Customs documents are provoking further questions as we get more information. We are also learning about other interesting documents.
Svenska Yle received customs documents from Lithuanian investigative journalist Šarūnas Černiauskas from Vilnius. He is the director of the Investigative Journalism Center “Siena”.
Šarūnas also obtained an official document from Kazakhstan, according to which the Kazakhstani company that imported the apparatus was granted an import licence.
– They have obtained a licence to import this particular equipment from Finland.
When we ask an expert to assess the type of radar apparatus, it appears that the licence is valid. But was the radar apparatus subsequently handed over to Russia?
Kazakhstan leaks sanctioned goods to Russia
Kazakhstan is known for re-exporting sanctioned goods to Russia. A Ukrainian, Lyudmyla Kozlovska, runs the Open Dialogue Foundation in Brussels. She is involved, among other things, in researching ways that one can circumvent sanctions.
“Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are the gateway for sanctioned goods to Russia,” says Lyudmyla Kozlovska.
Kazakhstan’s exports of radars and navigation systems to Russia have skyrocketed from a very small amount to a total value of USD 4.9 million in 2022.
– Why has Kazakhstan suddenly become a major seller of this apparatus?
The same radar shipment was cleared in different ways
When we compare Lithuanian customs statistics with Kazakhstani customs figures, something doesn’t quite add up. The same shipment of radar apparatus from Finland has been cleared in different ways.
According to Lithuanian customs, the radar apparatus from Finland weighs 2.5 tonnes and is worth EUR 1.3 million; according to Kazakhstani customs, the same radar apparatus weighs 8.1 tonnes and is worth EUR 2 million.
Something happened on the way. The radar has become both heavier and more expensive. Lyudmyla Kozlovska suspects that part of the consignment was shipped from Kazakhstan.
– Everything should have stayed in Kazakhstan, but the problem is that we don’t know that for sure.
A radar to detect drones and missiles
According to a radar apparatus expert, the equipment from Finland can be used for both civilian and military purposes, such as detecting drones and missiles.
The expert wishes to remain anonymous as he works on sensitive defence and security issues.
Our expert says there may be a shortage of radars for military purposes in Russia.
– As a result, there may be a demand for these parts.
The Finnish radar company is mainly owned by a Western listed company. Finns with Russian roots are minority shareholders.
As the Finnish authorities do not suspect the radar company of any crime, we are not revealing its name or address.
Fighter jets on the airfield
The company assures us by email that the radar was sent to Kazakhstan and is intended for civilian use at Shymkent airport in south-eastern Kazakhstan.
A satellite image shows that there are parking spaces for fighter jets at Shymkent airport. A Russian flag appears to have been painted in one of the corners.
We show the photos to Pekka Toveri, a retired Major General and former Chief of Intelligence of the General Staff.
– This is a sign that the Russian air force is on the ground and using the airport.
Russian fighter jets have air bases in Kazakhstan and can use Shymkent airport. The countries have ratified a defence agreement on a joint air defence system.
Neither the Kazakhstani company that received the radar, nor the agency that ordered it, nor Shymkent airport would answer our questions.
Our investigation indicates that the radar apparatus from Finland may have been used for military purposes by the Russian air force in Kazakhstan.
Another possibility is that part of the shipment ended up in Shymkent, but that radar parts have also been transported to Russia.
It is not only suspect electronics that make it past the sanctions, in Svenska Yle’s series “Under the radar – export fraud to Russia” we reveal how companies and individuals are circumventing both sanctions and their moral responsibility.
Source: svenska.yle.fi