A Russian man who purchased underwater reconnaissance equipment for Russia was convicted in Germany

The Frankfurt am Main regional court has sentenced a Russian citizen to almost five years in prison for illegally exporting dual-use goods to the Russian Federation.

According to the investigation, he acted through several companies that purchased dual-use equipment in Europe, writes DW.

Among the purchased items were acoustic positioning systems, transponders, drilling equipment, and satellite antennas worth hundreds of thousands of euros. The companies also tried to purchase a sonar for deep-sea research, which, according to intelligence agencies, could be linked to the Kremlin’s secret espionage plan codenamed “Harmony”.

German media reports that the final recipients of the equipment could be the Russian army and the FSB, although this information was carefully concealed. Some of the supplies were made through Turkey.

In addition to the prison term, the court ordered the confiscation of more than 200,000 euros in assets from companies associated with the defendant. The decision has not yet entered into force and may be appealed.