Sanctioned Russian Firms Sold $2B Air Defense System to Saudi Arabia, Leaked Documents Show

Leaked Roselectronics documents and trade data indicate that Saudi Arabia agreed to a €2.2B purchase of Russia’s Pantsir-S1M air defense systems in 2021, with a €326M initial payment and related vehicle deliveries in 2023, and that the agreement likely extends through 2026 despite post-invasion sanctions; funds were routed via Rosoboronexport to Rostec subsidiaries, and the deal includes multiple batteries, command-post vehicles, radio communications systems, and hundreds of missiles, while experts warn Saudi entities could face U.S. secondary sanctions; similar ongoing Russian arms sales to China, India, Algeria, and Egypt are also noted.