Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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Poland charged four Belarusians and two Poles with attempting to smuggle Russia-bound chipmaking equipment via Belarus. Prosecutors say the devices could aid combat drones; three are jailed pending trial, others face bail and travel limits.
WARSAW, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Four Belarusians and two Poles were detained and charged with attempting to smuggle to Russia devices used to automate the production of integrated circuits, used, among others, in the assembly of combat drones, Polish prosecutors said.
Warsaw has been warning of Russian and Belarusian attempts to destabilise countries backing Ukraine after Russia invaded the country on February 24, 2022.
On Wednesday, Polish prosecutors said the suspects were detained on February 18 and charged with attempting to smuggle through Belarus strategically significant equipment, which is under sanctions and which could be used in the production of military technology.
"Violation of the provisions of the sanctions act is classified as a crime, punishable by imprisonment for a period of no less than three years," prosecutors said in a statement.
Three suspects were placed in pretrial detention for a period of three months, while the remaining three were placed under police supervision, bail, and a ban on leaving the country.
"Earlier actions by officers of the National Revenue Administration helped thwart an attempt to smuggle a machine, which contributed to the disruption of potential supplies of military equipment to the troops of the Russian Federation operating in eastern Ukraine," prosecutors said.
(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Alison Williams)
Polish prosecutors charged six people for attempting to smuggle Russia-bound chipmaking equipment via Belarus, alleging the devices could support integrated circuit production used in combat drones.
Four Belarusian citizens and two Polish nationals were detained on February 18 and formally charged with attempting to smuggle sanctioned, strategically significant equipment.
Under Poland’s sanctions law, violations are crimes punishable by at least three years in prison, with additional penalties possible depending on the court’s findings.
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