Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 17, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 17, 2026
A U.S. citizen was sentenced to four years in a Russian court for trying to take a Kalashnikov stock out of the country, highlighting legal tensions.
MOSCOW, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A Russian court has sentenced a U.S. citizen to four years in jail for trying to take the stocks of Kalashnikov assault rifles out of a Moscow airport, the RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.
The U.S. citizen, who collects Kalashnikov weapons, bought two Kalashnikov stocks and checked in a suitcase containing the butts at Moscow's Vnukovo airport but made no customs declaration, RIA said.
The man, who was not identified by the news agency, was found guilty under an article in the criminal code dealing with the smuggling of weapons, RIA said.
RIA said the man partially admitted his guilt. Reuters was unable to reach the man while he was in detention.
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Russia and has repeatedly told its citizens to leave immediately "due to terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention and other risks."
"Russian officials often question and threaten U.S. citizens without reason," the State Department says in its travel advisory. "Russian security services have arrested U.S. citizens on false charges. They have denied them fair treatment and convicted them without credible evidence."
Russian officials deny the U.S. allegations and say that the state merely enforces Russian law.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Buckland)
A Kalashnikov refers to a type of assault rifle, originally designed in the Soviet Union. It is known for its reliability and ease of use, making it one of the most widely used firearms in the world.
A criminal procedure code is a set of laws that outlines the process for adjudicating criminal offenses. It includes rules for investigation, prosecution, and defense in criminal cases.
Risk management involves identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks followed by coordinated efforts to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events.
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