Russia Stops Smuggling of Submarine Engine Parts

State officials indicated that the seized items were diesel engine components related to the Varshavyanka-class submarine engines. There is an active criminal investigation based on Russian law that deals with illegal exports of military items, and further investigations will provide additional details regarding the network connected to this incident.

Submarines That Can Use Parts
The exact destination of the seized parts is currently unknown; however, the engine parts could be used on submarines in many different countries. Countries that operate submarines that could use these diesel engines are Poland, Romania, China, India, Vietnam, Algeria, and Myanmar.

Of these countries, China, India, Vietnam, Algeria, and Myanmar are expected to be the least likely to be involved since these nations conduct pecuniary and nationalistic relationships with Russia and can generally acquire military equipment via standard commercial procurement channels and contractual relations. Reports have indicated that Romania's Delfinul submarine has not been operational for over a decade, making it possible that this submarine would be the least likely to acquire these parts.

Focus on Poland's ORP Orzeł
Given this information, the next expected country to review as the intended recipient of the exported materials would be Poland's ORP Orzeł submarine. ORP Orzeł is a Soviet-class submarine, and while the submarine is currently active, there have been significant shortages of repair parts for ORP Orzeł for many years. Because Poland has not recently received the necessary parts from Russia, Polish naval officers and ship repair facilities have looked at various alternatives, such as procuring parts from other nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union or refurbishing existing components.

While there have been some theories presented, as of this time, there is no proof to connect the seized items with the intended recipient. Officials have cautioned that it is still too early to draw any firm conclusions, and the investigations regarding the legitimacy of the contents are currently ongoing, as they are working on determining the recipient, along with the larger context related to the export of the materials.