(OTTAWA) – Canada has imposed sanctions on defence manufacturer Streit Group for supplying armoured vehicles and military equipment to Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardia), the Canadian government announced on 10 August.
The sanctions were enacted under Canada’s Special Economic Measures Regulations, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed.
The Canadian government stated Streit Group produces armoured vehicles and other military equipment. Numerous credible reports confirm these vehicles are being used by Rosgvardia in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
“Canada is imposing sanctions on this company based on numerous credible reports confirming that the armoured vehicles it manufactures are being used by the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia), which is participating in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” the government release stated. “Having previously supported Russia’s military-industrial complex by supplying defence products to Russian entities, Streit Group continues to fuel Russia’s war machine and Putin’s regime’s baseless and unjustified war against Ukraine.”
The government emphasised the sanctions would reduce Russia’s military capacity by disrupting and limiting Streit Group’s ability to supply military technologies and equipment.
Acting Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the decision. “Thank you to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand and to Canada for this important decision. There must be a price for supporting Russia’s war machine. Every company that supplies technologies, equipment, or components to Russia’s military-industrial complex helps support the russian federation’s aggressive war against Ukraine and must be held accountable for it. Sanctions are effective when they are consistent and coordinated. We must continue to raise the price of Russian aggression and impose sanctions on those who help keep its war machine operating,” Sybiha wrote on social media platform X.
Streit Group was founded in 1992 by Guerman Goutorov, an emigrant from Russia who began by importing American armoured cash-in-transit vehicles into the Russian Federation. The company commenced operations in the Russian Federation in 2009 and did not withdraw after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. In September 2018, Streit Group acquired a licence to produce the Russian GAZ-2330 “Tiger” armoured vehicle.
In December 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a package of anti-Russian sanctions which included measures against Streit Group. The company was previously involved in producing armoured vehicles for Ukraine, supplying approximately 150 KrAZ Spartan, KrAZ Cougar, and KrAZ Cobra vehicles through procurement and licensed production in 2014.
The company has a documented history of export violations and sanctions scrutiny. In September 2015, STREIT USA was fined $3.5 million (approximately £2.7 million) for the illegal export of armoured vehicles to Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, and other countries without required licences from the United States Commerce Department. In 2016, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed it was investigating the firm’s Canadian subsidiary over possible sanctions violations related to the sale of 30 Typhoon armoured trucks to Sudan.
Despite Canada signing the Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, which prohibits arms exports to Sudan directly or through third countries, Streit vehicles were observed in Sudan in July 2019, sparking concern from Canadian activists over their use in the War in Darfur. The company has argued its exports do not violate controls because the vehicles are not fitted with weapons. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Streit Group’s involvement with Sudan.
In a later development, soldiers from the Rapid Support Forces were documented on social media posing with armoured vehicles manufactured by the company. In 2022, Streit Group announced the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Uganda, with Guerman Goutorov identified as the company’s chief executive.
New Zealand also announced a fresh package of sanctions against Russia and individuals and organisations supporting its war against Ukraine.