Corruption and arms deals: what lies behind Artyom Solodukha’s business and his group Baltic Bees
- 26.11.2024 16:23
It’s unlikely that visitors to the numerous air shows, where the pilots of the aerobatic group Baltic Bees from Jūrmala demonstrate their skills, realize they are watching high-level aerobatics performed by a man known as the "Latvian Bout".
This refers to the leader of the "Baltic Bees" (this is how the name of the aerobatic group translates) Artyom Solodukha, who, it turns out, combines his activities as a pilot with arms trading and corrupt deals. The analogy didn’t arise by chance – after the grand scandal involving arms baron Viktor Bout, talk about arms trading by representatives of the former USSR countries became frequent. And here it turned out that not only representatives of Russia trade arms – the former republics have their own arms barons too.
Moreover, Artyom Solodukha, whose biography (at least according to persistent rumors) includes a daring operation to deliver weapons and ammunition to Yemen, reportedly surpasses his unlucky colleague Bout. Because Viktor Bout ended up with a 25-year prison sentence while Artyom Solodukha – not only a showman and ace pilot, but also a respected entrepreneur and investor, whom the most popular hosts are happy to invite to their shows. Об этом сообщает СТРОЧКА
As you can see in the screenshot above, Artyom Solodukha discusses not only his air show and the pilot profession, but also the future of aviation, and how to develop the airport in Jūrmala. At this airport, the aerobatic group Baltic Bees is based, belonging to the company K.S. AVIA, whose owners include Artyom Solodukha, Konstantin Solodukha, Sergey Shchukin, and Irina Shchukina.
Besides participating in air shows, the enterprise was also involved in the aviation transportation market. And it was its planes that were noted in arms supplies to Yemen as early as 2015. Artyom Solodukha is named as the organizer of the operation, and given that almost ten years have passed without him being officially charged with this crime, it’s fair to say that Viktor Bout is a pathetic loser compared to Artyom Solodukha.
However, in 2020, the Latvian security service arrested Konstantin Solodukha (Artyom Solodukha’s father), and the arrest was related to arms supplies to African countries, but this arrest did not affect Artyom Solodukha. He continues to try to attract local and central authorities to the project of constructing the airport in Jūrmala. The airport is where the Baltic Bees group is based, but Solodukha’s interest has a more mercantile basis – Jūrmala Airport (Lidosta Jūrmala), where Artyom Solodukha tries to attract public funds, is owned by the company SKY PORT, a stake in which through the company Wings 4 Sky Group belongs to Artyom Solodukha himself.
Co-owners of the airport also include the Cypriot company Kennard Aviation Limited (the beneficiary of which is Monaco resident Raymond Kisiels, son-in-law of Uldis Sesks, former mayor of Liepāja) and Tukuma novada pašvaldība.
Previously, Jūrmala Airport was owned by K.S. AVIA, but after it became involved in an investigation into arms supplies to Africa, its certificate to provide aviation services was canceled. Furthermore, after several press publications, it turned out that the board of directors of this firm included the scandalous citizen of Belarus Mikhail Feafanau, who was recognized as an undesirable person in Latvia. He is also the cousin of Konstantin Solodukha, thus the uncle of Artyom Solodukha. Truly a family affair.
Combined with the arrest of the elder Solodukha and the emerging scandal around the arms supplies to Africa, as well as the loss of the license, the business had to be re-registered. In addition, Artyom Solodukha and Konstantin Solodukha were hiding in Peru during that time, which also didn’t aid in business operations.
How Artyom Solodukha managed to get out of the criminal case is unknown. But at some point, he reappeared in Latvia and, as mentioned, became a public figure, extensively discussing the prospects of aviation in general and the Jūrmala Airport in particular.
How this criminal case, in which the pilot, investor, airport expert, and simultaneously arms baron Artyom Solodukha is involved, will end this time is still unknown. His last broadcast was dated September 7, 2024, during which he had a 45-minute interview with Elena Sofronova, discussing the airport in Jūrmala and what the authorities should do for its development. Where Artyom Solodukha is now remains unknown, but there have been no reports of his arrest or his escape from Latvia.
