On August 1, 2024, a high-level prisoner exchange, prepared under a veil of secrecy, culminated between the West and Russia. Among those arriving in Moscow, personally greeted by Vladimir Putin, was 50-year-old Vadim Konoshchenok, originally from Estonia.

Born in Tallinn, Vadim Valeryevich Konoshchenok (Konoštšenok in Estonia) initially tried his hand at acting in his youth and even appeared in a cable television show. However, for the past few decades, he focused on transportation and logistics, moving goods between Estonia and Russia, as well as other neighboring countries, using a car or van. Holding both a Russian passport and an Estonian permanent residence permit, Konoshchenok had businesses in both Estonia and Russia.

His social media presence paints a picture of a loving family man who shares photos of his children, posts jokes and poems. On the other hand, he also portrays himself as a patriot of Russia, particularly of St. Petersburg, often celebrating Russia's Flag Day or Victory Day (May 9). Mixed in are references to his transportation and logistics business, such as photos of lines at the Ivangorod-Narva border crossing. The only time Konoshchenok previously made the news was in 2008, when he had money and documents stolen in Russia, forcing him to live in his car for a month until he received a new passport to return to Estonia.

However, behind the scenes, this same man was allegedly living a double life. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment to "Pealtnägija" on camera, and Estonia's Internal Security Service (ISS) also remained tight-lipped. But according to them, Konoshchenok had been part of the so-called Sernia network, a vast web of front companies tied to Russian intelligence services, at least since 2020.

"The Sernia network was a Russian procurement network that essentially operated to get goods from the U.S. to Russia through Estonia," explained Financial Times journalist Chris Cook. "Procurement networks like this are essentially intelligence networks where people may sometimes work in embassies, but often, they operate without any official government role, as so-called illegals. Their job is to acquire materials from other countries and get them to Russia."

According to Harrys Puusepp, ISS' head of bureau, this was done using forged documents. "This equipment was bought in the United States, and ways were found to bring it either to Europe or Asia and then from there into Russia. One part of this was that the gentleman in question tried to move the equipment through Estonia."

In 2022, when the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against the Sernia network, they also revealed extensive correspondence between members of the network. Cook added, "What this showed was that this wasn't a commercial enterprise. These weren't people interested in getting the best price or anything like that. Their focus was, for example, hiding the end-user, concealing the fact that the products were going to Russia and obscuring how much they were buying. They discussed splitting shipments to make them less suspicious. It was very clearly an operation to acquire goods for Russia that were prohibited from being purchased directly."

The U.S. indictment identified seven alleged members of the network. Two of them were based in the U.S. and procured goods there, while four were mainly in Russia, orchestrating things from afar. Boris Livshits, currently wanted by the FBI, is accused of most frequently giving instructions to Konoshchenok.

Konoshchenok admits he met Livshits in 2020 and conducted business with him several times but insists that Livshits was merely a regular customer ordering innocent goods from Estonia.

"The first time I delivered goods to him, it was car cosmetics. Two or three months later, he sent another message, which is part of the criminal case, asking me to buy some components from a Selver store. I refused. I don't transport cheese and sausage. That's not my level, and I'm not interested," Konoshchenok explained.

The indictment, however, mentions two problematic items: electronics and ammunition. Konoshchenok admits to transporting bullet components from the West to the East on multiple occasions but claims they were legally purchased and declared. He said the goods were mostly for himself and his acquaintances for – believe it or not – sports shooting.

"These were intended for me and my friends-partners, with whom we engage in shooting sports at ranges in the Russian Federation," Konoshchenok told "Pealtnägija."

Puusepp from ISS responded skeptically to this claim, noting that while people can have various hobbies, the context changes when Russia is at war with Ukraine. "At a certain point, someone either knew or should have known that these components could have other purposes," Puusepp stated.

On one hand, Konoshchenok is correct in saying that Estonian customs had inspected him before, such as in June 2022, and allowed him to transport bullets to Russia. On the other hand, he had been fined at least twice for customs violations over the years, most recently in April 2021 concerning electronics.

Konoshchenok admits to transporting electronics to Russia on several occasions. For instance, in October 2022, in addition to ammunition parts, over 30 electronic devices were found in his possession. However, he insists these were innocent items. "Regarding the electrical wires, they noted that there were only three items connected to the U.S., meant for building nuclear bombs or whatever. Their total value was $43.17. These were electrical conductors, small components, and when you take them to the border, you present the proper paperwork," Konoshchenok explained.

The public portion of the indictment includes quotes from emails where Konoshchenok allegedly discusses moving sanctioned goods and receives instructions on how to forge invoices and other documents. But Konoshchenok claims everything has been taken out of context.

Both Cook and Puusepp warn not to be fooled by small quantities and seemingly innocent items. "We wrote about how a company in the Sernia network bought equipment from a German tool manufacturer, literally things you or I could buy at a hardware store," Cook pointed out. "But the thing is, we're not trying to maintain tanks to invade another country. They desperately need this stuff; they don't make it themselves, and it's hard for them to get."

The situation became widely publicized in December 2022, when the U.S. filed formal charges against the Sernia network and submitted a legal request to Estonia to arrest Konoshchenok. The case received significant attention in the U.S. because the American-based buyers involved appeared to be naturalized citizens, outwardly successful businesspeople and family men. Konoshchenok claims he heard the names of his co-defendants for the first time when the case became public.

Asked what he thought when he heard that Livshits and the others were allegedly connected to the FSB, Konoshchenok said, "I realized I had stumbled into some kind of horror movie, but I was certain it would soon be resolved. I was 100 percent sure I wouldn't go to America. I was certain they would let me go because it's all nonsense. I had no bullets, no electronic components, no FSB orders."

With approval from an Estonian court, Konoshchenok, who faced up to 35 years in prison in the U.S., was extradited in the summer of 2023. In addition to the discovery of 170 kilograms of bullets in a warehouse linked to him in Tallinn, U.S. authorities also found a photo of Konoshchenok in an FSB uniform while reviewing his computers and communications devices. The photo, which has since been shown repeatedly in Western media, has an unusual explanation from the man himself. "Yes, it's a great photo. I like it a lot. It was taken for a passport. It's really in my passport. But the uniform came much later. I went to the studio to have a photo taken. They offer a clothing change service. You can come in a sweater but want a photo in a suit or something. They even had joke photos, videos and birthday pictures. This was just a joke, and that's all," Konoshchenok explained.

Puusepp shrugged at this explanation. "It's a funny story, but in reality, we know that such photos are often used for documents, either for an official document or for a false one that can be used for convenience within a country like Russia, where the rule of law only exists in words."

Whether Konoshchenok was an FSB collaborator or even a colonel, ISS cannot definitively confirm or deny. "That doesn't mean he was or wasn't," Puusepp added.

Konoshchenok spent over 600 days behind bars while awaiting trial. He voiced typical complaints, from only being interviewed once during this time to describing U.S. prisons as dangerous and unsanitary. His trial was scheduled for November, but one morning in late July, someone knocked on his door, ordered him out of bed and whispered the word "plane." Apparently, he was going home.

As we now know, a high-level exchange deal was put together under heavy secrecy, in which Russia freed 16 Western nationals or Russian opposition figures, while the West released ten individuals convicted of terrorism, espionage or cybercrime, including Konoshchenok. His pardon was personally approved by U.S. President Joe Biden on July 26.

The exchange took place in Ankara. The group, which included the infamous FSB assassin Vadim Krasikov, boarded a plane bound for Moscow. Reportedly, there was no celebration. "I was going home. I realized it was all over. The only thing I had were many questions for the Estonian government about how this all happened. Why were there no questions about what the bullets were for? Why were there no questions in court for the prosecutor who presented the papers for my detention?" Konoshchenok said.

While the West often views Russia's behavior as hostage-taking, Konoshchenok believes the opposite: that the Americans, with the help of the Estonians, arrested him to use as a pawn. He claims he had no idea who would greet them in Moscow. The fact that Putin himself was there, Konoshchenok said, was a surprise to everyone.

"It turns out that if a Russian citizen gets into trouble – no matter which country – their leadership will come to their aid. That's how it is. I repeat again – those with ears heard, those with eyes saw that there was nothing but lies in the charges," Konoshchenok responded when asked whether the Russian regime's leader would come out for just any ordinary citizen.

"But the fact that I ended up among the top ten – well, yes, I'm a lucky person. I'm a lucky person."

Immediately upon Konoshchenok's return to Russia, Estonia revoked his residence permit and ID card. The decision stated that he posed a security threat to Estonia. Currently, Konoshchenok says he is in St. Petersburg but has already filed an appeal, which the court has accepted, to have his Estonian residency reinstated. According to him, he's caught in a vicious circle: he has not been convicted, yet he was pardoned; he is free, but his Estonian residence permit was revoked.

"I cannot travel to Europe, I cannot visit my mother's grave, who passed away on Saturday. I cannot visit it. I won't be able to attend a religious service later. I can't be there when my children start school on September 1," he explained his desire to return to Estonia.

A court decision on his case is still pending. According to the latest information, one member of the scheme has pleaded guilty in the U.S., while another is considering it. The four Russian members are still at large. The Sernia network and others like it are like a hydra: when one head is cut off, another smuggling channel sprouts in its place.

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