The Economic Security Council of Ukraine and the media outlet "Economichna Pravda" investigated how the sanctioned "Kalashnikov Concern" sells weapons to 44 countries worldwide through the EDGun company.
With the analytical help of the Council of Economic Security, Economic Truth has already given an example of how the concern sold rifles in Western countries through the mediation of the Alfa Precision company. This time, the EDGun company came into our field of vision.
The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, part of the Kalashnikov concern, sells IZH-46M pistols in the United States. They are allegedly manufactured not by the Izhevsk plant but by the private company Alfa Precision. She works with EDGun, a private company that manufactures rifles and sells weapons in Western markets.
What ECSU knows about EDGun
EDGun was founded in 2002. It positions itself as a manufacturer of pneumatic weapons, the pioneer of the "bullpup" format. The manufacturing company is located in the Russian city of Segezha, Karelia. The company promises the highest quality standards for developing accurate, reliable, durable weapons for gun enthusiasts. Each gun is assembled as an artificial specimen. The consumer receives it with a target.
As the Economic Security Council investigation revealed, the company has two employees, and its revenue for 2021 was 1.6 million dollars.
The founder and director of "Edgan" LLC is Eduard Gafarov. In 2013, the FSB opened a case against him under the article "extremism" for a Nazi expression. Rosfinmonitoring added him to the list of terrorists. In 2014, the entrepreneur was convicted and fined. A year later, as Gafarov assured, his criminal record was cleared, and he was removed from the list of terrorists. Since then, things have been going well for the businessman. The more actively he expresses his support for the Russian regime, the better they do.
Interestingly, the protection for "Nazi gunsmith" was provided by the State Duma deputy and the head of the "Rodina" party, Oleksiy Zhuravlev. He was ready to change laws for Gafarov's sake, and his party was prepared to provide informational support in Karelia. Zhuravlev is an ardent supporter of Russia's attack on Ukraine. He called for the detachments of “volunteer” fighters to be sent to Donbas and often visited there. On Russian TV channels, he threatened the Russians with a NATO attack.
Gafarov supports Rodina, whose policy coincides with that of Putin. In recent years, the businessman's income has been growing steadily. Gafarov receives payment from the sale of rifles and optical sights in Russia. This is evidenced by 44 representatives whose contacts are published in the company's booklet. It sells products all over the world.
EDGun has representatives in Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, USA, Czech Republic, Portugal, Lebanon, France, Holland, Belgium, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Iraq, USA, UK, Uruguay, Argentina, UAE, Paraguay, France, Japan, Taiwan, Poland, Italy, Panama, Colombia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey, Serbia, Iran, Norway, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Andorra, Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Austria.
The main point of sale in Europe of "Edgan" LLC is located in Spain. You can buy weapons and accessories there through an online order in the online store at the link www.edgun.shop/. The contacts are also indicated: email info@edgun.shop, Whatsapp +34 666 712 245, Telegram +34 666 712 245. From Spain, Russian weapons are sent throughout Europe. In the USA, EDGun LLC sells the product through its representative office.
Moreover, EDGun rifles were sold even in Ukraine, as evidenced by the announcements of individual trading companies.
How "Kalashnikov" is related to EDGun
On the EDGun YouTube channel, you can find a video featuring Eduard Gafarov and the person he calls the owner of Alfa Precision. In it, Gafarov explains that Alfa Precision barrels are no worse than foreign ones and claims he is the first to test advanced products on the Russian arms market.
The name of the person next to Gafarov in the video is not indicated. It could be Mykhailo Kozlov, the owner of the AlfaPrecision company from Izhevsk, whose connection with the Kalashnikov concern has already been explained by Economichna Pravda. In a post on Vkontakte, Gafarov confirms that he uses Alfa Precision barrels. The post has the title "The creator of the "Edgan" assault rifles, Eduard Gafarov - about the "Alfa Precision" barrels.
VKontakte
EW also found confirmation that Alfa Precision barrels are installed on EDGun Matador rifles on the Russian gun owner forum forum.guns.ru.
FORUM.GUNS.RU
FORUM.GUNS.RU
Gafarov makes videos in which he tests new rifles made using Alfa Precision barrels. These videos are published on YouTube and in the Alfa Precision group in Vkontakte.
Alfa Precision barrels are produced by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant of the Kalashnikov Concern, which has been under sanctions since 2015, and Gafarov uses them to create his air rifles. That is, EDGun air rifles are produced with barrels made by the Izhevsk mechanical plant of the Kalashnikov Concern, which is hidden behind the "showcase" of Alfa Precision.
Since OJSC "Izhevsk Mechanical Plant" and OJSC "Concern "Izhmash" were included in the US sanctions list, this means that US and EU citizens are prohibited from contacting these enterprises.
At the same time, the EDGun website states that the company sells barrels from only two manufacturers: Lothar Walther (Germany) and Alfa Precision (Russia). Russian products account for about half of the company's sales.
It turns out that IMZ barrels are used for rifles that EDGun exports to 44 countries. This means that companies or governments that have relations with Russian sanctioned defence companies may find themselves under sanctions.
EDGun's activities may interest competent authorities that monitor compliance with economic and trade sanctions. For example, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). As you know, American sanctions apply not only to US individuals and companies but also to foreigners and foreign companies. Neither EDGun nor Eduard Gafarov is on the sanctions lists of the United States yet.
In the European Union, the Council of the EU is responsible for decisions within the framework of the sanctions policy based on the proposals of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. EDGun hasn't hit their radar either yet.