Before Russia’s invasion, Mikhail Pavlyuk would brag about his roots in a small Western Ukrainian village where he returned each summer to mow his parents’ lawn.
Today, the 56-year-old former semiconductor executive is accused by the U.S. government of illegally smuggling microchips for Russian weapons that raze Ukrainian cities.
Pavlyuk, who fled Russia last summer, was sanctioned by the U.S. government for his alleged role in an international crime ring that purchased, transshipped and sold semiconductors to Russia via a constellation of Taiwanese, Armenian and Swiss shell companies.