Police expose factory in western Zakarpattia manufacturing uniforms for Russian ski team

Ukraine's Security Service exposed a shadowed factory that produced winter sportswear for the Russian national ski team, the press release says.

The non-licensed sewing took place at one of the region's garment enterprises. The factory began fulfilling orders from a Russian company that supplies specialized clothing for the sports teams in early 2023.

The workshop manufactured and shipped over 40 wholesale batches of winter jackets to Russia for skiers during its operation. The suspects used gauze tape to cover the jackets with Russian symbols. To conceal the illegal deliveries, their "route" ran through one of the EU countries where the owner of the Transcarpathian garment factory was located.

The owner is a foreigner who was directly involved in concluding the relevant contracts with Russian customers and organizing the transportation of finished products. To ensure the sewing shop's production, he engaged this enterprise's head. No more than five seamstresses were involved in fulfilling the Russian "order" who were selected from among the "trusted" persons.

The seamstresses were additionally "instructed" not to disclose the fact of cooperation in favor of the aggressor country to their friends, acquaintances, and relatives.

The investigation is currently underway to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. The suspects face up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.