An Estonian citizen has pleaded guilty in the United States to helping procure millions of dollars’ worth of sensitive American electronics for Russian military and government contractors, capping a years-long investigation involving US, Estonian and Finnish authorities.
Andrey Shevlyakov entered a guilty plea on July 23 before US District Judge Rachel Kovner at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, to conspiracy to commit export violations.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, he now faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and has agreed to forfeit approximately $1.5 million (€1.32 million) in assets. He is awaiting sentencing.
US prosecutors say Shevlyakov operated an international procurement network for nearly a decade, using shell companies and false identities to obtain sensitive American-made electronics before shipping them to Russian defence contractors and government agencies.
US attorney Joseph Nocella said the defendant had supplied sophisticated American technology to “hostile Russian military actors”, undermining the security of the United States and its allies.
FBI Houston special agent in charge Jason Hudson described the case as a “spinoff” from a much larger bureau investigation dating back some 14 years.
Among the components illegally exported were analogue-to-digital converters used in military avionics, missile systems and electronic warfare equipment, as well as low-noise pre-scalers and frequency synthesisers employed in high-frequency communications.
According to court documents, Shevlyakov had been placed on the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2012, meaning American companies were prohibited from selling him controlled goods without a government licence.
The designation followed a US government assessment that he was acting as a procurement agent seeking American technology for Russian government and military end-users.
Rather than abandon his efforts, prosecutors say he repeatedly sought to circumvent the restrictions.
In one example cited by the Department of Justice, a US supplier refused to sell him sensitive electronic components after discovering he was on the Entity List. Shevlyakov cancelled the order before submitting a new purchase days later under a different email address and a false identity.
Authorities estimate that the scheme resulted in the illegal export of more than $1 million (€880,000) worth of controlled electronics from the United States.
Shevlyakov was arrested in Estonia on March 28, 2023 during a joint investigation conducted by the FBI and Estonia’s Internal Security Service (KAPO, Kaitsepolitseiamet). He was extradited to the United States on August 28, 2025.
Estonian officers seized inbound shipments addressed to his front companies at the time of the arrest, including one containing about 130kg of radio equipment, according to court filings.
He was originally charged in an 18-count indictment, with prosecutors then citing a maximum term of 20 years. The prosecution is being handled by the US Attorney’s Office National Security and Cybercrime Section, with the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement in Dallas.
Investigators say Shevlyakov routinely travelled between Estonia and Russia to deliver the equipment.
Border-crossing records show he entered Russia from Estonia more than 100 times between 2010 and 2016, with many trips lasting only a single day.
Finnish border guards also intercepted him while he was attempting to transport undeclared electronics into Russia. A search of his vehicle uncovered roughly €70,000 worth of electronic components concealed in hidden compartments after he failed to submit the required customs declaration.
The case illustrates the difficulties Western governments face in preventing dual-use technologies from reaching Russia through intermediary companies and cross-border procurement networks.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union, the United States and other allies have repeatedly tightened export controls on advanced electronics and semiconductor components viewed as essential for Russia’s defence industry.
Investigations have repeatedly uncovered European and US electronic components reaching Russia through intermediary companies.
New investigations show that European technology continues to fuel Russia’s military capabilities in Ukraine, despite numerous European Union sanctions. https://t.co/9lZwQ5OpI5
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 18, 2026
