Russian-Montrealer sentenced in U.S. for illegal electronics exports to help Putin’s war

Russian-Montrealer Nikolay Goltsev was sentenced to 40 months in a U.S. prison Wednesday for conspiring to ship restricted electronics to Russia that were later used in President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The sentence was announced by the U.S. Justice Department. It had accused Goltsev of secretly shipping more than $10 million in restricted electronics to the Kremlin for use in missile systems, combat helicopter and signals intelligence systems in its Ukraine war.

“Goltsev and his wife thought they would ‘get rich’ by running an illicit global procurement scheme to supply sanctioned end users in Russia,” said Kevin J. Kurland, U.S. Department of Commerce acting assistant secretary for export enforcement. “Instead, they got jail time.”

Goltsev was arrested in 2023 in New York and accused of masterminding a global procurement scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian companies, including Russian military companies, with help from his wife, Kristina Puzyreva, who was also arrested and who has also been convicted and jailed in the case.

Goltsev’s sentence sends a strong message that those who break U.S. laws and contribute to Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine “will be held accountable,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

“The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue those who procure the component parts that make Russia’s war machine tick. This case demonstrates that these wrongdoers will be found and punished accordingly,” he added.

Some of the electronic components shipped by Goltsev were later found in seized Russian weapons systems, platforms and intelligence-gathering equipment in Ukraine.

U.S. justice officials released a series of explosive text messages between Goltsev and Puzyreva which proved the couple knew their actions were supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine.

On their social media and to friends in Montreal, the couple had  publicly presented themselves as supporters of Ukraine, even posting a photo of themselves with a Ukranian flag meme. But private messages highlighted different views.

In a May 30, 2023, text message conversation between co-defendant Puzyreva and Goltsev, shared by U.S. Justice officials, the couple allegedly discussed a drone attack in Moscow and their support of Russia:

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Puzyreva: “What is Putin waiting for.  He needs to destroy Ukraine.”

Goltsev: “Yeah they’re gonna get f—ed either way.”

Puzyreva: “He needs to put fear into them.  Those losers.”

Goltsev: “Well the way he is acting they have the right to do the same.”

Puzyreva: “I hate [ethnic slur for Ukrainians] anyway.”

Goltsev’s plea agreement shows he agreed to forfeit and pay U.S. $4 million and surrender assets worth another U.S. $1.68 million that were seized by the FBI and Homeland Security investigators during their months-long investigation.

He also agreed not to appeal any sentence under 46 months in jail, a copy of the plea deal showed.

Goltsev also agreed to be deported from the United States, possibly to be returned to Canada or Russia, a copy of the plea agreement shows. There was no word on that Wednesday.

In July, Puzyreva was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to launder the proceeds of the illegal electronics export scheme.