He is said to have sold components for airplanes and missiles from the USA to Russian companies that manufacture weapons. The son of the governor of the Siberian Krasnoyarsk region is suspected of violating sanctions. Now he is being taken into custody.
Moscow has confirmed the arrest of the son of a senior Russian official on charges of evading sanctions in Italy. Artem Uss, the son of the governor of the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk, was arrested at Washington’s request on Monday at Milan’s Malpensa airport, the Russian embassy in Italy said.
Uss is accused of having bought electronic components for airplanes, radar systems and missiles in the USA along with four other Russians and two Venezuelan oil traders and having sold them to Russian defense contractors despite the applicable sanctions.
The day before, US justice accused around a dozen people of selling US technology to Russia, some of which Washington said was used in the war in Ukraine. Another Russian suspect in the case, Yuri Urekhov, was arrested in Germany on Monday, according to Washington. The US Department of Justice wants to request the extradition of the two men to the United States.
Krasnoyarsk Governor Alexander Uss wrote on Telegram in response to his son’s arrest: “The political nature of these allegations is obvious.” Moscow and Washington are currently negotiating an exchange of prisoners, including US basketball player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in Russia for drug trafficking.
