A Moldovan company has been caught illegally exporting military-grade components to sanctioned Russian defense firms, concealing the shipments behind false customs declarations.
Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), together with prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), dismantled the scheme During six searches conducted on Wednesday, investigators seized computers, mobile phones, components and technical contracts, NewsMaker reported on Friday, NewsMaker reported on Friday, June 26.
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The total value of shipments under investigation exceeds 21 million lei (approximately $4.56 million).
The company indicated in customs declarations that it was exporting “waste processing equipment.” Authorities said the company also failed to obtain the required permits for exporting dual-use goods.
How the export scheme worked
The exported goods were control and measurement systems for electrical signals from sensors, used in the engines of Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft and Su-27 fighter jets.
According to Moldovan authorities, the scheme operated since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with company representatives directly coordinating technical documentation, specifications and test results with the recipient company in Russia.
To conceal the end recipient, company representatives established a separate company inside Russia, through which the products were delivered to an organization linked to the Russian military-industrial complex already subjected to international sanctions.
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The seized materials are now being examined as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
A pattern of Russian influence
Reportedly, the smuggling case is not the first time Moldova has found itself at the center of Russian interference operations.
In 2025, Moldovan authorities uncovered a cross-border network that reportedly trained recruits in covert camps in Bosnia and Serbia, as part of a broader wave of destabilization activities from Russia, targeting France and Germany.
Moldova has since offered to share its counter-interference expertise with the European countries ahead of upcoming elections, including experience in tackling illicit finance, disinformation and cybersecurity threats.
According to United24Media, Moldovan authorities have expanded their sanctions list to include six Russian nationals working in media and other cultural spheres, accusing them of spreading Kremlin narratives and supporting Russia’s war.
In mid-June, an investigation revealed that a Russian-linked handler, believed to be a diplomat trained in information warfare, recruited and paid Ukrainian nationals to carry out arson attacks on a Toyota RAV4 and two homes connected to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The operation is believed to be part of a wider campaign run from Moscow, in which fake far-right and Muslim groups were created online to incite division and spread disinformation in Britain.
Western officials have repeatedly accused Russia of using hybrid warfare tactics across Europe, including sabotage operations, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. Recent incidents include firebombs placed aboard cargo aircraft bound for the UK and drones entering NATO airspace after reportedly being diverted by Russian electronic warfare.
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