Roboavia Unmanned Systems LLC (Bespilotnye Sistemy Roboavia) Sanctioned 2024

Limited Liability Company Roboavia Unmanned Systems ( Bespilotnye Sistemy Roboavia) manufactures an attack UAV used by the Russian military.

How Roboavia Unmanned Systems Was Formed?

Roboavia Unmanned Systems LLC (Bespilotnye Sistemy Roboavia), which develops and manufactures “flying wing” type drones has production sites in the occupied Ukrainian Crimea, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Public records show that Roboavia, a company registered in Russia in 2015, is located at 62A Danilova Street in Simferopol. Interestingly, this address points to the former “Zavodske” airfield, which has long been home to a model aircraft sports club. It seems this connection is no coincidence, as the initial founders of Roboavia were Vitaly Maksymovich Saulyak, the director of the club, and Maksym Oleksandrovich Krasiuk, presumably a former member of the club.

Just three months after the Simferopol company’s founding in 2015, a branch called “JV Roboavia” was registered in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Interestingly, the two companies shared not only their name but also their key figures: Viktor Andreevich Velesik, a Russian citizen born in Shymkent, and Maksym Krasyuk, a Ukrainian national from Crimea who took the role of chief designer at the new branch.

A key factor emerged about t “JV Roboavia” the ability to obtain Western components through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. These countries have become notorious for facilitating “parallel imports,” which involves channeling goods and technology under sanctions by the US, EU, and others, into Russia.

By setting up operations in Kazakhstan, Roboavia bypassed the limitations faced by its counterparts in Simferopol and Voronezh. Kazakhstan’s location allowed Roboavia to acquire electric motors and microelectronics for their drones from European and American firms, circumventing sanctions imposed on Russia and Crimea. This established a channel for supplying these restricted materials into Russia or occupied Crimea.

What Happened to the three Roboavia companies ?

Roboavia LLC  

In 2021, Roboavia announced a partnership with FIXAR Global to manufacture FIXAR 007 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones in Kazakhstan. However, their online presence has gone quiet since then, with minimal updates to their website and social media channels.

Despite the lack of public updates, job postings for Roboavia in Shymkent continue to appear on recruitment websites. These openings for UAV pilots, support drivers, engineers, designers, legal personnel, and procurement specialists suggest ongoing activity at the company, with production either continuing or restarting.

Bespilotnye Sistemy Roboavia LLC

The Voronezh branch of Roboavia, “Bespilotnye sistemy Roboavia” LLC, appears to have ceased operations in 2022, based on the lack of financial filings. While its exact purpose remains unclear, it seems to have served some undisclosed function. No information about their production activities was found.

Local media mentions the company only in connection with its finance director, Konstantin Melkumov, a former Kazakh police officer who ran for the regional Duma on the Communist Party ticket. Paid articles referred to him as the “Russian Elon Musk,” but the nature of Roboavia’s products remains unknown.

Interestingly, the Voronezh branch was established in September 2021 by Velesyk and Krasyuk, but a new individual nicknamed “Kolotuškin” with a Kaliningrad tax number became the company’s patron. In June 2023, the branch was liquidated due to unreliable registration data, seemingly without the involvement of the actual owners.

Roboavia LLC, Simferopol

Based on their recent website update, Roboavia LLC, a Simferopol-based company, appears to be manufacturing and selling drones called “Sarych.” The Sarych bears a striking resemblance to the “Sapsan-3000,” a UAV heavily promoted in Kazakhstan. In terms of technical specifications, these drones are nearly identical, with the only major difference being the Sarych’s increased maximum altitude by 2,000 meters compared to the Sapsan-3000. 2024 seems to be a significant year for the Simferopol company, with increased activity or attention.

In October 2022, the company ownership was as follows:

• Lyudmila Vasilievna Gurova, Roman Gurov’s mother, who became CEO in November, held the majority stake of 90% of the authorized capital.
• Maksym Krasyuk, the chief designer, owned 3% of the shares.
• The remaining shares were divided among three other individuals:
  • Oleksandr Vykhritskyi, an acquaintance of Roman Gurov from Simferopol, Crimea, held 2.5%.
  • Yuriy Lankovsky, a Russian with a background in building materials trade in Novosibirsk, owned 2.5%.
  • Volodymyr Shtokin and Dmytro Fedchuk, both from Evpatoria, Crimea, each held 1%.