Last week, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against more than 100 individuals and entities in 16 different jurisdictions. They are involved in schemes to circumvent Western sanctions by Russia. These restrictions were also applied to transnational networks involved in the purchase of weapons and equipment for Russia. Thus, the Russian network of Promtekh was sanctioned. Through controlled companies in France, Turkey, and Hong Kong, Promtekh was importing Western components for the production of weapons in Russia. In July 2024, the activities of these companies were exposed by journalists of the Trap Aggressor project, the German editions of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, and the French Le Monde.
From now on, the European arm of the Russian Promtekh network, the French company ITGF, is also under sanctions. The journalists investigated this company several months ago, before the US sanctions were imposed. ITGF was owned by Russian Promtekh until 2022. In May of the same year, all of ITGF’s shares were bought by the Hong Kong-based Interasia Trading Group Limited, which also joined the US sanctions list.
The first CEO of the French company was the son of the head of Russia’s Promtekh Alexei Shadrin. However, in 2019, Igor Reutov, a Russian, became the executive director of ITGF. He also owns the Estonian company Free Sky Solutions OÜ and is the managing partner of the French Aerialia, which was established in January 2024. Both companies are subject to sanctions. In addition, the lease agreement of Free Sky Solutions OÜ was terminated and the company’s bank accounts were blocked.
In 2022, ITGF established the Turkish company Enütek Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi (Enütek), which supplied dual-use technologies to Russia. For example, electronic integrated circuits and ceramic capacitors for Promtekh’s subsidiaries. Before the full-scale invasion, such goods were supplied to Russia by the French ITGF. In fact, the connection of these companies with the activities of the Russian Promtekh was the reason for the imposition of sanctions on them.
Following the imposition of US sanctions, journalists from the Trap Aggressor project, the German editions of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, and the French Le Monde managed to talk to Igor Reutov’s lawyer, Amandine Eritzian.
Amandine denied Reutov’s connection to Enütek and the Promtech group of companies. She added that the effects of the sanctions imposed last week have negatively affected her client in various areas of his business…
Mr. Reutov feels devastated by the sanctions imposed on him and the companies he represents. These sanctions do have serious consequences for my client, both professionally and personally. However, the reason for these sanctions is solely the activities of Enütek, with whose management Mr. Reutov has not communicated, replied Amandine.
The lawyer noted that Mr. Reutov did not know that he was also responsible for the actions committed by the Turkish subsidiary.
We assure you that if Mr. Reutov had been informed about the activities of Enütek, as well as his responsibilities as a manager, he would have immediately resigned from ITGF. The initiator of the establishment of Enütek’s Turkish subsidiary is Mr. Zhou Xinjie (The previous owner of Interasia Trading Group Limited, which has owned 100% of ITGF since May 2022 – ed. note). From the very beginning, the director of Enütek warned Mr. Reutov that he would have no obligations regarding the subsidiary and no information about it. Mr. Reutov was naïve and unaware of Enütek’s activities. This naivety now has serious consequences. While the CEO and beneficial owner of Turkish Enütek are not on the US sanctions lists, Amandine added.
The lawyer also claims that Reutov began to have problems with bank payments after the investigation was published, some time before the US sanctions were imposed on him.
Mr. Reutov has been denied access to certain banking institutions on a personal level. Even before the sanctions were published, Boursorama Bank decided to terminate the contract and closed Reutov’s account in August 2024, said the representative of the ITGF Executive Director.
Today, ITGF’s operations have been suspended and the company is being liquidated. Important details about the network of illegal supplies of Western products to the Russian corporation Promtech and its ties to the French ITGF are in the Trap Aggressor investigation.