A Polish state-linked aviation factory Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze was dealing with russia’s defense sector for helicopter maintenance and upgrades, a joint investigation by InformNapalm and Militant Intelligence shows.
Documents obtained in a joint cyber operation show that Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 1 (WZL-1) in Łódź transferred more than USD 1.4 million to ‘russian Helicopter’ through sanctioned Sberbank in January 2022. The payments were made less than a month before russian troops launched their assault on Ukraine.
Why is this important:
- The Polish defense plant recognized “russian Helicopters” as a strategic partner and confirmed the execution of contracts;
- Millions were transferred through the sanctioned Sberbank;
- It was about spare parts for Mi helicopters, which the russian Federation is actively using in the war against Ukraine;
This is direct evidence that the sanctions regime was violated, and the russian military-industrial complex received support even on the eve of a full-scale invasion.
These are just two documents from the “russian-Polish” cooperation investigation.
WZL-1, which services the Polish Armed Forces alongside private clients, specializes in overhauling Soviet-designed Mi-2, Mi-8/17, Mi-14, and Mi-24 helicopters.
