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Starlink systems appear in Russian registries despite ban on sale, supplied via UAE and Kyrgyzstan

The Insider

Russian companies continue to import Starlink systems, which the Russian Armed Forces have made extensive use of in the war in Ukraine. As the Nordsint investigative project found, systems that fall under the official ban on sale to Russia have appeared in state databases. In some cases, the listed manufacturer is not U.S.-based SpaceX, but companies from third countries.

Starlink satellite internet systems enter Russia through a network of parallel imports. To activate them, importers use accounts registered abroad, including in European countries. Some of the systems that made their way into Russia have appeared in national conformity databases. In some declarations of conformity, the equipment manufacturer is appropriately listed as SpaceX; others use different company names, sometimes listing suppliers.

Thus, a conformity declaration dated June 2025 for a product listed as the “Starlink Marine Navigation Kit” specifies no manufacturer at all, and the provided Dutch address belongs to the local company Castor Marine, an official distributor of Starlink Maritime.

Translation by The Insider:

Conformity Declarations
Date of registration as a legal entity: 05.07.2024
Date of assignment of the Primary State Registration Number (OGRN): 05.07.2024
Tax Registration Reason Code (KPP): 771801001
Manufacturer
Type of manufacturer: Foreign entity
Matches the applicant: No
Full name: STARLINK
Address
Registered in the territory of the EAEU: No
Residential address: Netherlands, Rijnzathe 4 3454 PV De Meern Nederland
Production sites
Netherlands, Rijnzathe 4 3454 PV De Meern Nederland
Product manufacturing address: Netherlands, Rijnzathe 4 3454 PV De Meern Nederland
Full name
Address of the place of activity for manufacturing products:

Castor Marine CEO Ivo Veldkamp told Nordsint that his company had never supplied Starlink to Russia. He described the appearance of Castor Marine in Russian documents as “an abuse of its corporate identity.”

The manufacturer listed in a May 2024 declaration for Starlink routers is Emaross Group FZE, a freight forwarding company registered in the UAE. On May 21, 2024, an offer to sell Starlink terminals appeared on the ZOV SVOikh pro-war Telegram channel, accompanied by a photograph of boxes bearing the Emaross Cargo logo.

Entries in Russian registries also indicate suppliers or intermediaries in Hong Kong. The website starlink777.ru, which offers “wholesale and retail” Starlink products in Moscow and Rostov-on-Don, shows evidence of direct shipments from Dubai and Hong Kong.

Translation by The Insider:

Satellite internet Starlink V3, V4 and V5
available for wholesale and retail
in Rostov-on-Don and Moscow
Turnkey: we create an account, activate it, and manage each satellite dish.
Delivery to new regions is available.
Free account creation!
Dish service — 16,600 rubles/month ($219)
Price of Starlink V3, V4: 42,999 rubles ($567)
Price of Starlink Mini V5: 29,999 rubles ($396)
Wholesale purchases upon request
(direct supplies from Dubai and Hong Kong)
Message us on WhatsApp
Our Telegram group with reviews
Buy on Wildberries

In response to an inquiry, Emaross Group stated that it “strictly complies with international export control regulations” and “has never authorized, organized, or carried out direct or indirect shipments of Starlink equipment to Russia.” The company then conducted an internal investigation, discovering that the Starlink equipment that ended up in Russia had been shipped to Kyrgyzstan. The recipient was Archie and Co LLC, and the terminals were intended for tourist facilities near Lake Issyk-Kul. Emaross Group maintains that it acted solely as a freight service provider.

According to air waybill No. 501-16267215, the shipment was sent on May 10, 2024, from Dubai World Central Airport to Bishkek

The Kyrgyz business registry indicates that LLC “ARCHIE and Co” is registered in the village of Ak-Jol, Chuy Region, Kyrgyzstan, and engages in “wholesale trade of non-specialized goods.” The company’s owner is Artur Sabirov. The air waybill lists Polarstar Logistics as the carrier — a company that was added to U.S. entity lists in February 2024, two months before the delivery. The cargo is described as “routers and adapters not subject to restrictions” with the Harmonized System (HS) code 87089900, which corresponds to automotive parts and accessories, not internet communication systems.

Emaross stated that at the time of cooperation, Polarstar Logistics “was an active logistics agent within the UAE infrastructure” and that Emaross has since “tightened its supplier verification processes.” Emaross explained the discrepancy in HS codes as a “technical administrative error” by Polarstar’s forwarder, who had used an outdated air waybill template for automotive components.