Three men charged with smuggling tech to Russia

A US citizen and two Russian nationals have been arrested on charges relating to the alleged illegal export of sensitive military technology from the US to Russia. 

The US Justice Department said Alexey Barysheff of Brooklyn, New York - a naturalised US citizen - was arrested for illegally exporting controlled technology. 

Russian nationals Dmitrii Aleksandrovich Karpenko and Alexey Krutilin were arrested for allegedly conspiring with Barysheff. 

In its complaint, the department alleged the defendants had engaged in a conspiracy to obtain microelectronics from manufacturers and suppliers in the US and export them to Russia while evading government controls on high-tech exports. 

The US restricts the export of items it believes could make a significant contribution to the military potential and weapons proliferation of other nations and undermine national security. 

The US Justice Department said the microelectronics allegedly shipped to Russia included digital-to-analogue converters and integrated circuits frequently used in a wide range of military systems, including radar and missile guidance systems. 

It said Barysheff had registered two companies in New York that were used as front companies to purchase and export the controlled technology, while concealing from their suppliers the intended final destination. 

If convicted of the charges, the defendants face up to 25 years in prison and a US$1 million fine.