Polish Firms Linked to Russia in 2016 Sanctions-Busting Helicopter Deals

Polish defense companies cooperated with Russia’s defense industry to bypass sanctions and supply spare parts for Macedonian Mi-24 helicopters.

This is according to a joint investigation by InformNapalm and Militant Intelligence.

Documents show that Polish firms acted as intermediaries between Russian defense enterprises and state institutions. One of the contracts was worth hundreds of thousands of euros. In 2016, Polit-Elektronik, a Polish company, ordered services from Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Rostec. Under an additional agreement to a 2015 contract, the firm made an advance payment of €543,690, covering 70% of the total.

Payments were processed through Russia’s Novikombank, which used a correspondent account at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. This indicates that despite sanctions imposed in 2014, Russia’s defense sector continued to exploit the European financial system for military transactions.

Further records from 2016 show Polit-Elektronik confirming delivery schedules with Russian Helicopters for Mi-24 blades intended for North Macedonia’s Ministry of Defense.

Poland’s state-owned Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 1 (WZL-1), based in Łódź, was also involved. WZL-1 specializes in the repair and modernization of Soviet-designed helicopters including Mi-2, Mi-8/17, Mi-14, and Mi-24.

The investigation suggests that Poland and Russia coordinated defense projects for a third country, with Polish firms facilitating Russian participation in international tenders.

In 2023, North Macedonia confirmed the transfer of Mi-24 combat helicopters to Ukraine. Analysts suggest that some of those helicopters may contain components supplied under these earlier contracts.