Austrian and Swiss companies Leica Camera AG and Leica Geosystems still supply optical equipment to Russia

The end users of their products may be Russian security forces and the military.

This is evidenced by an investigation by the Russian publication The Insider.

A Russian subsidiary owned by Leica Camera AG filed three declarations in Russia in 2022 to import binoculars and night vision devices. The subsidiary's financial report shows attempts to avoid taxation or conceal true sales volumes.

In addition, before the full-scale invasion, Leica Camera cooperated directly with Russian defence companies. For example, in December 2021, Leica Camera made its last delivery to the S.A. Zverev Krasnogorsk Plant. This plant produces equipment for Mi-35 helicopters.

Sweden's Leica Geosystems AG produces rangefinders and total stations, which are devices for measuring angles. Its products enter Russia through intermediaries in Türkiye, China and Israel. Russian importers of these products still cooperate with Russian military units. For example, Leica Geosystems AG supplies its products to the Chinese company Shanghai Merrypal, which, in turn, supplies them to the Russian company Geotekhnologii. This company has supplied equipment to the Federal Security Service's armament department, which protects the Russian top leadership, including Vladimir Putin.