Ukrainian companies from Kyiv and Kharkiv have found themselves at the center of an international scandal due to suspicions of supplying components for the ‘Shahed’ kamikaze drones and missiles used by Russia through Iran. One of the companies, LLC ‘GK Imperative Ukraine’, is owned by Iranian citizen Tabibi Jabali Bakhram.
This is reported by Finway
“Two firms from Ukraine are supplying parts for ‘Shaheds’ and missiles to Russia through Iran. No one notices them or shuts them down. For months, or maybe even years,” wrote public figure Maria Berlinska.
How the Supply Scheme Operated
LLC ‘GK Imperative Ukraine’ and LLC ‘Ekofera’ have come under suspicion. It is known that these firms purchased aerospace materials for the Iranian company Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), which produces ‘Shahed’ drones. Among the imported parts were position indicators, magnetometers, components for alternating current generators, and engines.
The Ukrainian companies acted as “intermediaries” for the import and export of components through third countries. The parts arrived in Ukraine from suppliers in Asian and European Union countries disguised as “electronic equipment”, “sensor modules”, and “instrumentation for industrial purposes”. The goods were then exported to intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Armenia. Standard customs documentation was used, which raised no suspicions and did not require enhanced export control. No direct shipments from Ukraine to Iran were recorded — the goods moved through intermediary hubs.
Signs of Transit Companies and International Community Reaction
It should be noted that neither LLC ‘GK Imperative Ukraine’ nor LLC ‘Ekofera’ had relevant production or scientific-technical capabilities. These companies employed a minimal number of staff, lacked adequate material resources, and the volumes of foreign economic activity significantly exceeded the officially declared functions.
The scheme allowed the Iranian company HESA to obtain sanctioned components, which supported the production of drones and aviation systems for Russia. American agencies were able to uncover these violations earlier than the Ukrainians due to access to SWIFT monitoring, international banking invoices, and customs databases from various countries. The Ukrainian control system, as the facts indicate, proved ineffective, allowing the Iranian network to operate unnoticed for an extended period.
Previously, the United States imposed sanctions against 32 legal entities involved in the supply network for components used in the production of Shahed-136, including Ukrainian companies.
It is worth recalling that back in 2022, Iran began supplying Russia with ‘Shahed’ drones for attacks on Ukraine. This assistance became particularly significant in 2022-2023, when Russia had not yet established its own production of such UAVs. Analysis of the downed drones in Ukraine showed that their complex components — electronics, sensors, and control elements — were sourced from Europe, North America, and East Asia.