Toronto company sanctioned over allegations owner supplied Russia’s drone program | 24CA News
A Toronto firm has been sanctioned by the United States for allegedly supplying Russia with electronics used to fabricate drones for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Anton Sergeyevich Trofimov, a Russian nationwide with properties in Toronto, was sanctioned on Friday alongside along with his Canadian-registered business and his Hong Kong agency.
The 41-year-old’s firm Asia Pacific Links Ltd. is allegedly one of many main suppliers of electronics used to fabricate Orlan-10 drones for the Russian navy.
The Orlan-10 is a medium-range reconnaissance drone that Russian forces have used extensively in Ukraine to pinpoint targets for artillery and rocket strikes.
Canadian officers declined to say whether or not Trofimov had additionally been added to Canada’s sanctions listing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced a brand new spherical of sanctions in opposition to Russia on the G7 summit in Japan on Friday.
An announcement from the prime minister’s workplace stated among the newly sanctioned people and entities have been “linked to Russian companies that provide military technology and know-how to Russia’s armed forces.”
In saying the brand new sanctions, the U.S. Treasury stated that they had been imposed in coordination with the G7, and have been meant to “further degrade the Russian Federation’s capacity to wage war against Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress wrote to Canada’s ministers of international affairs and public security in January to ask for motion in opposition to Trofimov for alleged sanctions violations.
“As you can no doubt understand, the evidence that a resident of Canada is involved in the supply of technology that is being used by Russia to murder Ukrainians is of grievous concern to the UCC and to the Ukrainian Canadian community,” National President Alexandra Chyczij wrote.
Trofimov, who owns two Toronto properties value a complete of $2.7-million, couldn’t be reached for remark.
A person with the identical identify, birthdate and tackle because the Anton Trofimov listed on the U.S. sanctions listing was charged by Toronto police with impaired driving on Nov. 11, 2022.
Trofimov is the director of 10219452 Canada Inc. The firm was nonetheless listed Friday as “active” on the federal government’s Corporations Canada web site.
He can be the founding father of Asia Pacific Links Ltd., a Hong Kong-based provider to the St. Petersburg firm SMT-iLogic, which in flip provides the producer of the Orlan-10, a type referred to as the Special Technology Centre, in accordance with the Ukraine sanctions listing.
The Special Technology Centre is already on the sanctions lists of Canada, the U.S., the U.Ok. and Ukraine because of its “significant role” in “Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.”
But whereas Ukraine has already sanctioned Trofimov, and the European Union has reportedly proposed sanctioning him, Canada had not achieved so. Global Affairs Canada has not responded to questions concerning the firm.
Since President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine final 12 months, Western elements have been turning up in surveillance and assault drones utilized by Russian forces.
Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones that Russia has been firing at Kyiv are made virtually solely of Western components, together with expertise from Canada, in accordance with researchers.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service stated in its annual report, launched on May 4, that a number of states have been behind “clandestine efforts” to accumulate delicate items in Canada.
Last December, a joint investigation by the Royal United Services Institute and Reuters alleged that Trofimov’s agency was the “largest supplier of microelectronics” to SMT-iLogic for the reason that February 2022 invasion.
The report alleged the Toronto resident’s firm had shipped US$5-million value of microelectronics to SMT-iLogic through the first eight months of the Ukraine struggle.
“These shipments have included items critical for the Orlan-10 UAV,” it stated, utilizing the acronym for the unmanned aerial car.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
