ILYA VIKTOROVICH BALAKAEV

Balakaev has ties to Finland, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, and North Korea. He speaks Russian and English.

Between 2017 and the present, Ilya Viktorovich Balakaev allegedly entered into multiple contracts through his company, Radiotester LLC, with the FSB—the principal intelligence and security agency of the Russian government—to repair spectrum analyzers and signal generators.  These devices were frequently used as part of alleged counterintelligence operations to sweep for surveillance bugs and transmit covert communications.  As the devices were not readily available in Russia, Balakaev allegedly created a network of individuals in the United States to assist him in purchasing the equipment which he then used to repair the FSB devices, in violation of United States sanctions.