Petrov Artur

Petrov Artur

Biography

2023: Arrest on charges of illegally exporting microelectronics

On August 31, 2023, the US Department of Justice announced the arrest in Cyprus of Russian Arthur Petrov, who is accused of supplying American microelectronics to Russia, bypassing sanctions.

Petrov, 33, has dual Russian and German citizenship. The criminal case was initiated on suspicion of violations of export control, smuggling, fraud using electronic communications and money laundering. According to the case file, the man entered into a conspiracy to smuggle American microelectronic technologies with a military purpose into Russia.

The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to circumvent export control laws to fuel the Russian military industry, and those who try to do so will not find asylum from US justice, the agency said in an official statement.

Petrov, according to US law enforcement, participated in an international illegal procurement network based in Russia using shell companies. Shipments of microelectronic products were allegedly carried out through intermediary countries in order to hide the final buyer. Petrov is said to work for Electrocom, a Russian supplier of critical electronic components to weapons and other equipment manufacturers. The ministry said that the man, together with two accomplices, fraudulently purchased products worth more than $225 thousand from American distributors and sent them to Russia.

The electronics Petrov purchased as part of the conspiracy include, among other things, microcontrollers and integrated circuits that are on the Commerce Department Checklist and cannot be legally exported or re-exported to Russia without a license. Petrov is charged with several counts, the prison term for which varies from 5 to 20 years.^[1]

2025: Russia-US prisoner swap

On April 10, 2025, an exchange of prisoners took place between Russia and the United States. The American side handed over to Moscow businessman Arthur Petrov, who was arrested on charges of illegal export of microelectronics.

The exchange of prisoners took place in. Abu Dhabi Washington Handed over a citizen Russia Germany and Petrov, who in 2023 was detained on Cyprus and extradited to the United States. The man was suspected of supplying American-made microelectronics Russia bypassing sanctions - he faced up to 20 years in prison. In turn, the Russian side issued a citizen of the Russian Federation and the United States Ksenia Karelin, convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

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Фото: FSB

According to The Wall Street Journal, CIA director John Ratcliffe and senior Russian intelligence officials were negotiating the exchange. In particular, it says that Ratcliffe communicated with the director, Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov as well as the head. Russian foreign intelligence services Sergey Naryshkin

According to TASS, during the exchange, Petrov at the Abu Dhabi airport greeted representatives of the Russian side, and then got on the plane, where he was measured pressure and asked about complaints. The businessman said that he had no complaints about his health.

He stayed up for two days. There are no particular complaints. Only fatigue, - said Petrov.[2]

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