The model, British tech and Russia's war machine

Part-time model Valeria Baigascina seems to live a glamorous, jet-setting life.

Documents reviewed by BBC News indicate that a UK company has sold high-tech equipment valued at $2.1 million (£1.6 million) to Russian companies with ties to the military.

The records show that the camera lenses produced in Britain were sent by a company based in Kyrgyzstan, which is reportedly managed by a swimsuit model.

Beck Optronic Solutions, a manufacturer based in the UK that has collaborated on British Challenger 2 tanks and F35 fighter jets, informed us that it has not violated any sanctions, has no connections with Russia or Kyrgyzstan, and was not aware of the shipments.

Our research brings up doubts regarding how well the sanctions placed on Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict are working.

Our journey brought us to Valeria Baigascina, a 25-year-old from Kazakhstan in Central Asia, who now resides in Belarus. She works part-time as a model and frequently shares glimpses of her glamorous, travel-filled life on social media. Over the last two years, she has traveled to places like Dubai, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.

Her social media profiles didn’t suggest that she was the director of a company that had sent millions of dollars’ worth of equipment to companies in Russia that were under sanctions, according to our examination of customs records.

As per the registration information from Belarus, Ms. Baigascina established and managed a company named Rama Group LLC. Founded in February 2023, the company is listed at an address in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, which is located about 2,300 miles (3,713 km) away from her residence in Belarus.

Both nations are former Soviet republics that have significant trade connections with Russia. Belarus continues to be Moscow's closest partner in Europe.

Since the UK imposed sanctions on Russia in February 2022, trade statistics reveal that exports to Kyrgyzstan have surged by over 300%. Analysts believe that some of these products may ultimately be heading to Moscow.

Documents acquired by the BBC indicate that the Rama Group sent two shipments to Moscow containing advanced optical equipment suitable for use in missiles, tanks, and aircraft.

The customs form states that the equipment is produced by Beck Optronic Solutions, located in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. This company specializes in creating high-precision lenses that are utilized in targeting and surveillance technology.

While some of its lenses find applications in healthcare and engineering, Beck's website highlights a wide range of uses in the military and defense sectors.

The lenses and optical technology offered by Beck Optronics are classified as items that cannot be legally shipped to Russia, or require approval from UK officials before any transactions can be completed.

The BBC has discovered, using customs records, that there were six shipments of items linked to Beck, amounting to a total of $2.1 million (£1.6 million). These shipments were sent to Moscow via Rama and another intermediary, Shisan LLC.

In December 2023 and January 2024, Rama Group sent two shipments to Moscow, labeling them as "camera rotating parts." These shipments were directed to Sol Group, a company located in Smolensk, approximately 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Moscow, which is under U.S. sanctions.

It's uncertain which international path the products followed; the paperwork suggests that some of the shipments might have actually started in Thailand.

Shisan LLC, a Kyrgyz firm, handled four additional shipments of Beck Optronics’ products, totaling $1.5 million (£1.1 million).

Two of the shipments included "short-wave infrared camera lenses" and were sent to the Ural Optical & Mechanical Plant, a company that manufactures bomb-targeting devices and faces sanctions due to its connections with the Russian military.

Rama Group and Shisan are located in the same building in Bishkek, a contemporary five-story structure situated in a thriving area of the city. During our visit, we learned that Valeria Baigascina was away on a business trip.

We discovered her contact information on her social media and shared our claims with her.

Valeria Baigascina is seen standing with a rifle.

Ms. Baigascina stated that she was the company's founder but sold it in May. She refuted the claims against her, asserting that during her ownership, “nothing of that sort was provided.” She subsequently ended the call.

Later on, she informed us via email that the allegations were "absurd" and founded on "incorrect data."

Our findings indicate that in May of this year, she sold Rama Group to her close friend, Angelina Zhurenko, who operates a lingerie company in Kazakhstan.

Ms. Zhurenko stated, "Our trading operations are conducted strictly in accordance with the laws of Kyrgyzstan. We ensure that the company adheres to all regulations and does not engage in any prohibited activities. Any claims to the contrary are untrue."

Angelina Zhurenko operates a lingerie company in Kazakhstan and frequently goes on trips.

The head of the other intermediary firm, Shisan, is Evgeniy Anatolyevich Matveev. We reached out to him via email to share our accusations.

He stated that our information was incorrect and that he operated a business that only provided civilian products made in Asian countries.

He went on to explain, “This does not conflict with the regulations of my state, nor does it pertain to US sanctions, since it's unfeasible to restrict the open trade of Asian products that are readily available for purchase and shipment.”

There is no indication that Beck Optronics was aware of these shipments or that the lenses were ultimately intended for Russia.

The company stated that it is not involved with the shipments: "Beck has not sent any items that go against UK export regulations or sanctions. We have not interacted with any individuals or companies in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, or Thailand, were not informed that any shipments could end up in these countries, and have not sent anything to these locations."

It suspects that some of the listed equipment wasn't actually produced by the company and that the customs paperwork might have been tampered with.

However, these supposed exports are just one piece of a larger puzzle that includes deliveries from various origins.

An examination of customs records by the Washington-based security research organization C4ADS indicates that Shisan made 373 shipments through Kyrgyzstan to Russia from July to December 2023.

Out of these, 288 included items classified under customs codes as "critical battlefield supplies."

During the same six months, Rama Group made 1,756 shipments to Russia. Out of these, 1,355 consisted of goods classified as "high-priority battlefield items."

The latest deliveries, consisting of electronics from companies in the US and UK, were sent to a Russian firm called Titan-Mikro. This company has been under US sanctions since May 2023 due to its involvement in Russia's military industry.

"When they offer this technology to a customer who might be a Russian user, they need to recognize that its purpose is to take lives," states Olena Tregub from NAKO, an independent anti-corruption group in Ukraine.

She cautions that the gaps in the sanctions system are leading to loss of life.

"Without these technologies, those weapons wouldn't be able to function. The guidance systems of the ballistic missiles and the kamikaze drones rely on Western innovations," she explains.

In April, David Cameron, who was the British Foreign Secretary at the time, held discussions with the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev. During their meeting, he encouraged him to enhance the country's adherence to sanctions.

Global agencies recognize Kyrgyzstan's involvement in circumventing sanctions.

In April, David Cameron, who was serving as the UK’s foreign secretary, visited Bishkek and encouraged the Kyrgyz government to enhance their adherence to sanctions.

The president of Kyrgyzstan stated that he believes Lord Cameron's visit to his country will boost the various areas of collaboration between Kyrgyzstan and the UK.

David O'Sullivan, the EU's Special Envoy for Sanctions Implementation, informed us that initiatives are ongoing to dismantle "illegal procurement networks." He emphasized that businesses must carry out thorough checks to identify the ultimate end-user and determine the final destination of "battlefield items."