The Economic Security Council of Ukraine has conducted an open source investigation into the sale of weapons produced by the russian Kalashnikov in the United States and Europe.
In 2014, after the annexation of Crimea and as a result of russia's aggression in the Donbas, sanctions were imposed against the russian Kalashnikov Concern, which is part of the state corporation Rostech. In 2018, the concern reported that it had lost up to 90% of the global civilian weapons market due to sanctions.
However, the ESCU found that weapons manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern are sold on the open market in the US, despite sanctions. In particular, more than a year ago, the AV-46 air pistol appeared on the websites of US weapons stores. This is actually a copy of the russian IZH-46, sold under the Baikal brand. These pistols are manufactured only by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in Udmurtia, a part of the Kalashnikov Concern.
The ESCU found that the AV 46-M air pistols were made in russia. The manufacturer is called Alfa Precision. It was registered in russia in 2016.
In fact, the AV 46-M pistol differs from the original IZH-46M only in the color of the grip and the inscription on the barrel. While earlier there was written a manufacturer "Izh", now it says "Made in russia by Alfa Precision". There are no other differences.
There is a bare minimum of information about Alfa Precision in open sources. The Economic Security Council found that the company has websites in russian and French as well as several Facebook pages - three of them (1, 2, 3) are registered in russia.
Officially Alfa Precision is registered in Izhevsk in a residential building on Tsvetochnaya St. 6. According to the data, only one person works in the company (individual entrepreneur Alexey Sokolov, who served in the russian army and now lives in Izhevsk). Due to the company's commercials, it does not have its own production facilities. The production process takes place at the facilities of the Kalashnikov Concern.
According to websites tracking imports and exports, the Economic Security Council has found that Alfa Precision trades successfully with South Africa, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Serbia.
Neither the Kalashnikov Concern nor Alfa Precision has publicly announced their business ties.
Therefore, the ESCU concluded that the shell company Alfa Precision from Izhevsk that helps the state concern Kalashnikov sells its products in other countries is a way to skirt the sanctions.
Considering these facts, OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control), a division of the US Treasury Department, should immediately investigate Alfa Precision case. In particular, it should be subject to the same sanctions that block the export of Kalashnikov products to the US. In addition, EU countries must impose sanctions on Alfa Precision to prevent such cases in the future.
russia, which exports terrorism to neighboring countries, should not have an opportunity to export weapons.