Montreal man pleads guilty to exporting weapons components for Russian invasion of Ukraine

This handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, shows a Russian serviceman preparing a Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone to launch at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP)

A Montreal man has pleaded guilty in the U.S. for his role in sending millions of dollars worth of electronics that were used by the Russian military for its invasion of Ukraine.

Nikolay Goltsev, 38, of Montreal, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control violations in federal court in New York. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The electronic components were sent to sanctioned companies in Russia, including Russian military companies, and found in drones and missiles "used to attack Ukraine," according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

"As Russia continues to wage its unjust war of aggression against Ukraine, the Department remains committed to holding accountable those who fuel Putin’s war machine," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in a statement on Tuesday.

Goltsev's wife, 32-year-old Kristina Puzyreva, was also part of the same scheme and pleaded guilty last February to money laundering conspiracy in federal court in Brooklyn.

The justice department said the trio helped smuggle more than $7 million worth of "dual use" components, which have both civilian and military uses, to the Kremlin using two Brooklyn front companies, SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc. Some of the electronics were found in weapons, including the Izdeliye 305E light multi-purpose guided missile, the Vitebsk L370 airborne counter missile system, Ka-52 helicopters, Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and T-72B3 battle tanks, the justice department said.

The defendants knew what the electronics were meant for and where they were going. According to messages exchanged in November 2022 — nine months into the war — they had discussed a shipment that was being held up at JFK airport in New York.

Goltsev responded by writing, "we need to figure out why they keep holding the package . . . I don’t really understand how they figured [it] out." He also later wrote: "in the future we will need to load from several companies, not to attract attention . . . for now large packages will be dangerous until we understand what they figured out . . . we will need to think of diversifying the load . . . so that not everything is not moving from the same deck."

In a subsequent message, Nasriddinov wrote to Goltsev: "Happy Defender of the Fatherland," in reference to the Russian holiday celebrating those who served in the armed forces. The Montrealer responded by writing, "happy holiday to you too my friend, we are defending it in the way that we can [smile emoji]."

Goltsev and his wife were arrested on Oct. 31, 2023 in a Manhattan hotel room. Police seized $20,000 from the room during their arrest and have seized US$1.68 million in connection with the export scheme.

"The defendants flouted U.S. law to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, but they were stopped in their tracks and swiftly brought to justice," said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York in a statement. "Today’s guilty pleas reflect that that this Office will take on and successfully neutralize the complicated procurement networks that are making it possible for Russia to continue its unprovoked war against Ukraine."

Goltsev and Nasriddinov are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, respectively. Puzyreva will be sentenced at another date to be announced.