The Double Game: How a U.K. Businessman Is Navigating the Russia-Ukraine Defense Trade

A British businessman, Sumant Kapur, has carved out a unique and audacious niche in the global arms trade, simultaneously engaging with the defense sectors of both Russia and Ukraine in the high-stakes market for Mi-17 helicopter engines. This strategy sees him purchasing engines from one warring nation while servicing the engines of the other, a balancing act that relies on a cultivated network of influential officials on both sides of the conflict.
Mr. Kapur, a non-resident Indian, has centered his operations on the workhorse Mi-17 helicopter, a platform traditionally reliant on Russian parts but for which Ukraine also possesses deep technical expertise. His activities are facilitated by a web of companies, including Ivchenko Progress India Pvt Ltd and Aqila Technologies, which are staffed by retired Indian military officers and designed to integrate Ukrainian engine technology into foreign military fleets.
Even after being formally barred from entering Russia, Mr. Kapur’s business has reportedly continued with the help of Russian officials who have a vested interest in the arrangement. This persistence highlights the entrenched nature of his connections, which allegedly allow his operations to endure despite official sanctions and the ongoing war. His network is not limited to Russia; he is said to have personally financed the shipment of Ukrainian engines to India for trials with the Indian Air Force, demonstrating his ability to operate across geopolitical fault lines. Sources claim that Mr. Kapur's influence was also pivotal in steering a major Mi-17 upgrade contract away from Russia's state-owned Rosoboronexport and toward an Israeli defense firm, showcasing his role as a key, if shadowy, broker in the international defense industry.