In the United States, Russian Oleg Nikitin received 2 years in prison for trying to buy a turbine bypassing sanctions

An American court in Savannah, Georgia, sentenced on Wednesday Oleg Nikitin, a resident of St. Petersburg, who pleaded guilty to violating export controls, to two years and four months in prison, followed by deportation to his homeland. reported RIA Novosti lawyer Alexey Tarasov.

According to him, taking into account the discount for exemplary behavior, the appointed period almost corresponds to the time that Russian Oleg Nikitin has already spent in prison.

The lawyer clarified that his client has been in custody in the United States since September 2019 and, in accordance with the court’s decision, may return to his homeland in the coming weeks.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of the hearing and hope that Nikitin will be able to leave for Russia and reunite with his family very soon. I assume that we are talking about several weeks, ”Tarasov said.

Oleg Nikitin, CEO of the Russian company KS Engineering, previously admitted that on behalf of an unnamed Russian state-owned company and through the mediation of an Italian firm, he purchased a Vectra 40G power turbine for $ 17 million. This turbine could be used for deep-water drilling in the Arctic. The sale of this type of equipment to Russia is prohibited by US sanctions laws. For such a violation to a Russian threatened punishment in the form of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 1 million.

Also among the accused were an employee of KS Engineering Anton Cheremukhin and Italians Gabriel Villone and Bruno Caparini. With the help of their company, GVA International Oil and Gas Services, the purchase was to take place. The Italians, in turn, turned to Daly Bagre, who owns the American firm World Mining and Oil Supply. The documents claimed that the Vectra 40G was allegedly needed by an American company, and the turbine would be used in Atlanta and the surrounding area.