This investigation was conducted in collaboration with The InsiderIt is no secret that Russia’s “Geran” drones, long associated with strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, are based on Iran’s “Shahed” drone models. Less publicly acknowledged is the critical role Chinese companies play in their production. Posing as a Russian military contractor, Nordsint spoke with representatives…

Nordsint and The Insider have discovered a network of Chinese companies willing to sell critical components for the production of Russian military drones in defiance of Chinese export restrictions. These items have been subject to Chinese export controls since 2023, when Beijing passed legislation prohibiting the transfer of drones and dual-use components for military purposes…

Throughout 2025, Russian companies and vendors continued to import Starlink products. These systems often reach the battlefield in Ukraine, providing the Russian military with vital communications capabilities, particularly in frontline areas where internet networks are degraded or unavailable. This has occurred despite western sanctions and Elon Musk’s official position that SpaceX does not “directly or…

We worked with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on an investigation exposing how Mosfilm buys drones and electronic warfare equipment for the Russian Armed Forces. The full version of the article is available here in Russian. Russian governmental procurement databases show that the Mosfilm film studio purchased nearly 6 million rubles worth of drones and electronic…

Despite sweeping Western sanctions and restrictions on cash imports, Russia’s military-industrial complex has continued to find ways to obtain foreign currency. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has relied on a network of global partners willing to deliver large quantities of hard currency directly into its hands. At the core of…

Data from public fitness tracking platforms, combined with open-source research, has revealed the presence of American private security personnel at military sites in Libya in 2024. Evidence discovered by Nordsint suggests that American private security contractors—possibly affiliated with the Frontier Services Group (FSG)—were active at Libyan National Army (LNA) installations from June to November 2024.…

On Jan 4, Border Patrol agents detained Timur Praliev when he illegally crossed the Rio Grande river into the United States. Praliev was carrying a Kazakh and Russian passport, as well as a drone in his backpack. During interrogation, Praliev admitted to being a member of the Wagner Group, a mercenary organization sponsored by the…

This article is a joint investigation between Nordsint and Verstka Media. Verstka’s investigation in Russian is available at Verstka.media Following the 2023 death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) moved to replace Wagner’s operations in Africa with a new unit known as the Africa Corps. The Corps has effectively taken…

This article is a joint investigation between Nordsint and Verstka Media. Verstka’s investigation is available at Verstka.media The official employment channel of the Wagner Group, also known as PMC Wagner, has published about 18 messages advertising recruitment of mercenaries for operations in African countries. Nordsint, together with Verstka Media have established the identities of those…

Location data from messaging app Telegram has revealed activity at the base of the Africa Corps, a paramilitary formation with links to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The base of the Africa Corps is located in Loumbila, Burkina Faso according to a report by French news outlet Le Monde. Using a Telegram search tool, it…