Despite international sanctions against Russia, a French company based in Châteauroux continues to supply advanced avionics to Russian aircraft, specifically those used by key figures in the Russian military and political leadership. These aircraft are not just any vessels; they are used by the main instigators of the war—high-ranking Russian officials. The system installed manages all onboard electronics from the cockpit, from cabin lighting to the onboard communication network. This high-tech installation is undertaken by PGA, a French subsidiary of the American group Astronics, as reported by Le Parisien in their investigation.
To equip, upgrade, or simply maintain the aircraft of Russian leaders and oligarchs, the Russian authorities turn to experts from a company located thousands of kilometers away in Châteauroux, at the heart of France. This location houses PGA, a French subsidiary of the American group Astronics, headquartered in New York, specializing in avionics. According to the investigation, figures such as Putin, Medvedev, Shoigu, and other regime actors can now enjoy this cutting-edge French technology, which provides reliable secret communication for their mobile phones. "Thank you, France!" write the authors of the article. Business with the Russians not only continued after the full-scale war began but has also expanded. The company has earned between €4 and €5 million from the Russian money, which equates to the equipment for seven aircraft, claim journalists.
The aircraft in question include the superjets IL-96 and Sukhoi 100—civil aviation aircraft designated for the highest leadership. They are used by Dmitry Medvedev, Sergey Shoigu, Dmitry Peskov, among others, along with the leadership of the FSB up to Putin himself, who has his own IL-96. To circumvent the sanctions, PGA ships its kits in containers filled with cameras, cables, and electronic equipment to a company that has a workshop on an old Soviet base near Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. However, this scheme has been paused due to cooling Russian-Armenian relations. Now, the boxes are simply sent from Yerevan to Moscow, where they are installed at a secret airfield. This was discovered thanks to trackers—tracking devices that are attached to the cargo.
Payments to the French company PGA go through Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
As reported by Ukrinform, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, stated that anti-Russian sanctions must operate at full force and cease to be a fiction, and that Ukraine should receive funds from frozen Russian assets abroad.
