The French company PGA continues to service the planes of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other high-ranking officials after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, despite international sanctions, reports the French newspaper “Le Parisien”, citing a former high-ranking manager of the company.
PGA, which is a subsidiary of the US company Astronics, deals with aircraft electronic systems. According to the newspaper’s source, since the beginning of the war, PGA has received between four and five million euros for the maintenance of seven aircraft in Russia (between 300,000 and one and a half million euros for each contract). We are talking about the planes of Putin, Shoigu, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev and the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The company sent the equipment to Moscow via Armenia and handled payments via Dubai, the source said. According to him, deliveries were made secretly in containers together with other equipment.
In December 2023, according to the source, electronic equipment worth one million euros was ordered for Putin’s plane, and deliveries were scheduled for 2024. According to “Le Parisien”, the source knows about this because, thanks to his connections in the professional environment, he is still informed about the company’s business.
It is unclear exactly what systems PGA supplied to the Russian aircraft. The company’s website says it supplies communications and entertainment systems, cabin controls and lighting systems. The website also says the company has customer support offices in France, the US and Russia.
The publication’s source claims that several high-level employees have left the PGA in recent days, which he believes could indicate that French authorities are interested in the company’s operations in Russia.
The PGA did not respond to questions from “Le Parisien”.
Sergei Shoigu and Vladimir Putin. Photo: EPA/ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/SPUTNIK/Scanpix
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