Ottawa sanctions armoured vehicle company owned by Russian Canadian

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced sanctions Monday against an armoured vehicle company run by Russian Canadian Guerman Goutorov.

Streit Group was sanctioned for supplying vehicles to the Russian National Guard, which is taking part in the war in Ukraine, Anand said in a statement.

The company “continues to feed Russia’s war machine” amid President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the minister said.

“The sanctions announced today will reduce Russia’s military capabilities in its war against Ukraine by disrupting and hindering Streit Group’s capacity to supply military technology and equipment to Russia.”

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress welcomed the sanctions, but said the federal government had not taken action against Goutorov, the Streit Group founder and CEO.

“This points to the necessity for the government to dedicate more resources to investigating and enforcing export and sanctions law – and more broadly – to the necessity of a full trade embargo on Russia and the designation of Russia as a terrorist state,” it said.

The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Russia’s ambassador in Ottawa responded to the announcement on Telegram, claiming the sanctions had “no practical effect” because the Putin regime “pays no attention to them.”

Goutorov formed Streit Group in Ontario after immigrating to Canada from the collapsing Soviet Union. He later built a major production facility in the United Arab Emirates.

His armoured vehicles have since turned up in multiple war zones, and Streit Group has been fined by the U.S. and repeatedly accused of sanctions violations by the United Nations.

The Canadian sanctions followed similar measures recently adopted by the European Union against Streit Group and Goutorov that alleged they were supplying Russia.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the company has been accused of continuing to work with Putin’s military and companies, despite widespread international sanctions.

Ukraine has reported seizing a Streit Group armoured vehicle on the battlefield, while Russia’s national guard has been seen with new Streit Spartans.

Months after Russia launched its 2022 attempt to seize Ukraine, Streit opened a production facility in Uganda, whose government is aligned with the Kremlin.