One of the world's oldest and most prestigious arms conglomerates, Beretta Holding, has come under the spotlight of the international community. Journalistic investigations have revealed a shocking fact: despite the imposition of strict sanctions and the severance of diplomatic relations, the Italian giant continues to indirectly supply the Russian Armed Forces with modern weaponry through a controlled structure.

Hidden ties and share control

The key link in this chain is the Russian company "Russkiy Oryol" (Russian Eagle). According to journalists, it acts as the main importer of the Italian concern's products on Russian territory. Moreover, the European holding still owns a controlling stake in the Russian firm — 57%. This means that, in fact, the management of the import process remains in the hands of the Italian leadership, despite official rhetoric about leaving the market.

In 2022, at the height of the conflict escalation, the company "Russkiy Oryol" was headed by Pietro Gussalli Beretta — the president of the Beretta Holding itself. It was under his leadership that large-scale logistics for deliveries were organized.

Scale of deliveries and type of weaponry

Import statistics speak for themselves. Only during 2022, 3,919 units of weapons produced by companies belonging to the Beretta Holding group were imported into Russia: Benelli, Fabbrica D'Armi Pietro Beretta, and Stoeger.

In total, from March 2022 to February 2024, Russian importers received no less than 15,337 units of Western weapons. Almost 40% of this volume — 6,064 units — were manufactured at plants owned by the Italian holding.

The composition of the imported batches is extremely diverse. Although the majority of items are hunting rifles, hundreds of units of specialized weaponry also entered Russia:

  • Modern sniper rifles of the Tikka and Sako brands, produced at a Finnish plant belonging to Beretta Holding.
  • Army shotguns Benelli (models M2 and M4).

Use on the battlefield

These weapons are actively used by Russian military personnel and FSO employees. In particular, Benelli shotguns have found wide application in the fight against drones: they are effectively used to shoot down FPV drones. Tikka and Sako sniper rifles have become part of the arsenal of Russian snipers, ensuring high accuracy in hitting targets.

The last recorded batch of weapons was formalized in April 2026. Its recipient was LLC "Koltchuga", which confirms that supply channels were not blocked even several years after the start of the conflict.

Government reaction and lack of investigations

The situation has provoked sharp criticism in the West. In February 2024, when journalists first voiced data about Beretta's ownership of a Russian importer, the US added "Russkiy Oryol" to the sanctions list and arrested several intermediaries. However, at the level of Italy and the European Union, an official investigation into the smuggling has not yet been launched.

The peak of absurdity occurred in February 2026. During parliamentary hearings, where the president of the holding, Pietro Gussalli Beretta, was directly asked about weapons supplies to the Russian Federation, the session was suddenly closed without discussing the essence of the issue.

In response to journalists' requests, representatives of the holding stated that all companies in the group had ceased commercial activity in the Russian market, and "Russkiy Oryol" had been excluded from the consolidated financial statements. However, factual data regarding share ownership and ongoing deliveries refute these statements.