Family of Supplier to Russian Defense Enterprises Lives in Brussels, Near EU Headquarters: The Insider

The family of the owner of Sonatek, which supplies products to Russian defense enterprises, lives in Belgium, and their office is located not far from the European Union headquarters, The Insider has reported.

In 2022, Sonatek provided services for at least 18 Russian defense industry enterprises in the supply and maintenance of products, importing measuring instruments from Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom, according to The Insider.

The investigation published in October 2023 revealed that Sonatek also participated in supplies to institutions and design bureaus involved in the development of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.

The company is owned by Ruslan Labin, a 35-year-old graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute. He has an older brother, Roman Labin. The two brothers and their father, Viktor Labin, also own the Groupe d’Investissement Financier company registered in Belgium, as stated in documents published by The Insider.

The Labin family’s Belgian company supplies equipment to Russia. A list provided to journalists includes milling machines, measuring instruments, and various parts for machines (the specific purposes are not mentioned). The Insider notes that it has been impossible to establish import substitution for such equipment in Russia, thus the Russian military-industrial complex has a "vital dependency" on the products supplied by Sonatek.

According to The Insider, the Belgian company often sent goods directly through Sonatek, but beginning in April 2023, it started using a similarly named intermediary company based in Belgium as a middleman. The company’s office is noted to be just a 15-minute distance from the EU headquarters in Brussels.

According to The Insider, Viktor Labin has been living in Brussels since at least 2000. His elder son, Roman, also lives in Belgium and, as The Insider has found, may also have connections to the Russian Ministry of Defense, as evidenced by a pass issued to him during the COVID quarantine.

Ruslan Labin responded to The Insider that his company, Sonatek, has "delivered something once" to 18 defense enterprises, and it is possible that they are still supplying now. Viktor Labin stated that since the imposition of sanctions and the start of the war in 2022, he has not supplied his son’s Moscow company. None of the Labins are under sanctions.