Estonian Extradited to the U.S. for Supplying American-made Electronics to Russia

Estonian citizen Andrei Shevlyakov was extradited to the U.S. for helping Russia acquire American-made electronics.

The defendant purchased electronics worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, including analog-to-digital converters used in aviation, missile weapons, and electronic warfare systems, ERR reported.

Arrested in March 2023 in a joint operation by the FBI and Estonia's Internal Security Service, Ševljakov had been under electronic surveillance since May 2024. He was handed over to the U.S. by the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) on August 27.

Shevlyakov is accused of attempting to evade U.S. export controls. He organized a scheme to procure and deliver American electronics to Russian end users, including defense contractors and government agencies.

The U.S. Department of Commerce placed Shevlyakov on a special list that prohibits the purchase of goods without official permission. To circumvent the restrictions, he created shell companies and misled American suppliers about the final destination of the products.

He was once stopped by Finnish customs officers while attempting to smuggle goods. They found electronics and semiconductors hidden in the luggage compartment and in the spare tire compartment.