The US treasury at the end of January sanctioned Spacety, saying its parent company had supplied satellite imagery of locations in Ukraine to Russian company Terry Tech to enable Wagner combat operations. The firm on its website had denied the claims, saying: “We have never and ever participated in any form of military activities in support of the Russo-Ukrainian war and the Wagner Group.”
Luxembourg’s economy and foreign ministries, however, have filed a complaint against Spacety with the public prosecutor’s office for possible violations of EU sanctions against Russia and export controls.
The ministries confirmed this decision with multiple media outlets on Tuesday.
The company has had to vacate premises at the Technoport in Esch-sur-Alzette, RTL reported. Both the government and the SNCI public lender are Technoport shareholders. The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (List) has also cut ties with the space company, the broadcaster said, with the University of Luxembourg in the process of terminating a cooperation in the field of space debris.
The satellite company in December 2020 launched its first Hisea-1 SAR satellite, covering Asia, North and South America, Europe and Antarctica. Little over one year later, it launched its 25th satellite.
The company in 2021 achieved a turnover of €170,000 but was operating at a loss, not unusual for budding businesses in the sector.
Spacety at the end of January had said it is “actively communicating with all parties and trying our best efforts to ensure a transparent, fair and just treatment.”
