A 33-year-old Belarusian national has been extradited from France to the United States to face charges linked to alleged shipments of US-sourced aircraft components to Russia in breach of export controls imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the US Department of Justice, Yana Leonova — also known as “Yana Liavonava” — arrived in Washington, DC on 3 November and made an initial appearance in the US District Court for the District of Columbia the following day. Prosecutors say a federal grand jury has charged her with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), smuggling, money laundering and defrauding the United States. Extradition assistance was provided by French authorities.
The indictment alleges that, in May 2022, Leonova used accomplices based in the United States to procure and export avionics and other aircraft equipment from the US to Russia without required licences. The items were allegedly destined for private aircraft operated by her former employer, a company listed on the US Commerce Department’s Entity List. Investigators say the network purchased components from US-based distributors and routed them via companies registered in Armenia, the Maldives and other jurisdictions to conceal the end users and ultimate destination.
Prosecutors further allege that documentation submitted to suppliers and shippers misstated end users and end destinations, and that US-dollar payments were sent from foreign bank accounts to accounts in the United States to settle the transactions. The case is being investigated by the FBI (Kansas City Field Office and Counterintelligence Division) with the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement in Atlanta and New York. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with counterparts in France on the extradition request.
Announcing the charges, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the defendant “tried to circumvent US law to enrich herself by procuring and illicitly exporting, from the United States to Russia, avionics, and other prohibited equipment,” adding that intermediary countries were used “to block the identity of the final recipient in Russia where licences… were needed.” The FBI’s Counterintelligence Division said it prioritises preventing US technology from reaching “adversaries’ hands”. The Department of Commerce’s export-enforcement leadership added that authorities will continue to “uncover and disrupt illicit procurement networks wherever they operate.” All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The alleged conduct falls within a broader US effort to tighten enforcement of Russia-related export controls and sanctions since February 2022, particularly against procurement networks that source dual-use technologies through third countries. In parallel developments this week, the US Treasury designated eight individuals and two entities for laundering proceeds of cybercrime and funds generated by overseas IT workers on behalf of North Korea, underscoring an emphasis on disrupting financial and logistics channels used to evade restrictions.
European enforcement actions have also advanced in recent months. In March, a Hamburg regional court decided to proceed with criminal proceedings against two former Siemens executives accused of facilitating the export of gas turbines that were ultimately installed in Russian-occupied Crimea in 2017, in potential breach of EU sanctions. The case stems from charges brought by German prosecutors in 2024; the defendants deny wrongdoing. Siemens has said those involved are no longer employed by the company.
The case against Leonova centres on the ECRA, which authorises the regulation of exports of sensitive US items for national-security and foreign-policy reasons. Since 2022, the US has placed additional restrictions on the supply of aircraft parts and aviation electronics to Russia and entities linked to the Russian aviation sector, alongside extensive listings on the Commerce Entity List. Prosecutors allege Leonova’s former employer appears on that list, which would have required licences for the export of controlled items to that end user.
If convicted, the statutory penalties include imprisonment and fines; the court will determine any sentence. The Justice Department identified Assistant US Attorneys in Washington, DC and Trial Attorneys from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section as counsel for the government. No trial date has been set.
The Justice Department reiterated that an indictment is an allegation. Leonova remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
