The prosecutor's office in the German city of Hamburg announced charges on March 27 against four Germans and one Swiss national related to the illegal sale of gas turbines to a Russian state-owned company in occupied Crimea.
The charges, which were reported by the German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche, pertained to the sale of Siemens-manufactured gas turbines in 2015. The individuals involved reportedly knew that the turbines would ultimately end up in occupied Crimea, despite the original sales documents saying they would be installed in Russia proper.
Many Western countries implemented sanctions targeting businesses that operated in Crimea after its illegal seizure by Russia in 2014.
Siemens said in a statement that it was unaware of the sale at the time, which was worth 111 million euros ($120.11 million).
One of the accused still works at a subsidiary of Siemens, the company said. All five suspects in the case have maintained their innocence. It is unclear what the potential consequences could be if they are found guilty.
The Siemens subsidiary involved was sold at the end of 2022, likely related to the larger exodus of Western businesses from Russia following the full-scale invasion.
Martin Fornusek
