WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Latvian citizen has admitted to masterminding a long-running international operation to unlawfully export sensitive U.S. aircraft technology to Russia, even after strict sanctions were imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Oleg Chistyakov, also known as Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court for conspiring to breach U.S. export laws by smuggling advanced avionics equipment to Russian clients, including the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia.
Chistyakov’s guilty plea comes after the convictions of his co-conspirators based in the U.S., Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 62, and Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, from Kansas, who ran KanRus Trading Company Inc. The trio evaded U.S. export controls by falsifying documents, disguising the ultimate destinations of their shipments, and routing equipment through third-party countries like the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Laos.
Court documents reveal that Chistyakov primarily operated from Latvia, utilizing his Emirati front company, RosAero FZC, to hide the final Russian recipients of sensitive U.S. avionics equipment. The conspiracy involved a complex network of falsified invoices, bank transfers through shell accounts in third-party nations, and the strategic use of intermediary companies to obscure the end users.
Despite heightened U.S. sanctions and export restrictions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the group persisted in procuring and shipping restricted technologies—thereby violating U.S. national security laws and aiding in the maintenance of Russian aerospace capabilities.
Chistyakov has consented to a personal forfeiture judgment and now faces a potential sentence of up to five years in federal prison. His sentencing is set for March 10, 2026, with the final decision to be made by a U.S. district judge, who will consider federal guidelines and other relevant factors..
“This case illustrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to disrupting the illicit flow of sensitive U.S. technologies to hostile actors,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
