Canadian woman pleads guilty to conspiracy to send weapon components to Russia

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People clear the debris at the site of Russia's air attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. Russia launched missiles as well as drones against Ukrainian targets during the night. The Associated Press/Photo by Andriy Andriyenko

Canadian woman pleads guilty to conspiracy to send weapon components to Russia

Kristina Puzyreva pleaded guilty in a federal court in Brooklyn on Monday to money laundering conspiracy charges in connection to a multimillion-dollar scheme to send drone and missile components to Russia. United States authorities in November charged Puzyreva, her husband, Nikolay Goltsev, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov with smuggling, conspiracy to violate sanctions, and wire fraud conspiracy. Puzyreva and Goltsev have dual citizenship in Canada and Russia, and Nasriddinov has dual citizenship in Russia and Tajikistan. Puzyreva faces up to 20 years in prison.

How did the scheme work? According to an indictment, the group used two companies registered in Brooklyn, N.Y., to purchase millions of dollars of American-made electronics that can be used for civilian and military purchases. The defendants then shipped the components to sanctioned entities in Russia, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Some of the components were found in seized Russian weapons and intelligence equipment in Ukraine, according to the DOJ.

Dig deeper: Read Leigh Jones’ report in WORLD Magazine about one Ukrainian pastor’s mission to protect his homeland.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.