The US Department of Justice has announced the extradition of Belarusian citizen Yana Leonova from France, who is suspected of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Act, smuggling, money laundering, and fraud.
She has already made initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the case file, Leonova used accomplices to purchase and illegally export aviation equipment from the US to Russia in May 2022. This equipment was intended for use on aircraft operated by her former employer, a private airline located in Moscow with a branch office in St. Petersburg. The equipment was shipped without the necessary licenses from the Department of Commerce, according to the US Department of Justice.
There is one phrase in the case file that may reveal which company supplied the equipment to Russia: “According to the website of Russian Company-1, the fleet of Russian Company 1 includes two A321 aircraft bearing tail numbers RA-73027 and RA-7028.”
Specialized resources believe that these Airbus A320neo aircraft may belong to “Air company North-West” (Air Operator Certificate no. 548).
