German businesspeople on trial over drone parts sent to Russia

Two businesspeople from western and southern Germany stand trial before the Higher Regional Court in Stuttgart starting Friday charged with illegally delivering electronic parts for the use in drones to Russia, reported dpa.

The businesspeoples' customer in Russia is said to have produced military equipment and accessories, including the Orlan-10 drone used by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine.

According to the indictment, the electrical components supplied are a common component of this type of drone and are covered by the European Union's Russia embargo.

A managing director of two companies in Saarland is accused by the federal prosecutor's office of having violated the Foreign Trade and Payments Act on a commercial basis in several cases. According to the court, he has been in custody since March last year.

A woman who ran a company in Baden-Württemberg is charged with aiding and abetting some of these offences.

According to earlier information from the federal prosecutor's office, she had also been in custody, but has been at large again since May. According to the court, both defendants have German and Russian citizenship.

The illegally supplied components were said to be worth around €875,000.