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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
🔥 Engines for military drones in the trunk: a U.S. citizen was caught at customs for smuggling equipment
He tried to take components for military unmanned aerial vehicles abroad but stopped at the “green corridor.” The Chernivtsi District Court of Chernivtsi issued a ruling in the case of U.S. citizen Philip Herbert Blum, who attempted to illegally transfer specialized engines and components for unmanned aerial vehicles across the Ukrainian border.
The incident occurred at the end of June 2026 at the Porubne–Siret checkpoint. The foreigner was driving an AUDI A6 and chose to pass customs control through the “green corridor,” thereby declaring the absence of prohibited or restricted goods. However, during a more thorough inspection, customs officers found two cardboard boxes with valuable cargo in the trunk:
• a two-stroke piston engine “170 RS engine” for large radio-controlled UAVs;
• a compact turbojet engine “Mk1 Micro Gas Turbine”;
• a set of control units (GSU, BOX);
• a micro-hydraulic fuel pump.
The foreign guest had no permits or conclusions from the State Export Control. A court-ordered expert examination confirmed the main point: the seized items are aviation engines specifically designed or modified for military use and widely used by defense forces. The total market value of the find amounted to 343 584,77 UAH.
In court, the foreigner’s representative tried to prove that the equipment was not concealed and was handed over immediately, and that the engines allegedly do not have purely military purposes. However, the court rejected these arguments because moving dual-use or military goods without special permits is a direct violation of customs rules.
The court found Philip Herbert Blum guilty of failing to declare goods subject to legislative prohibitions or restrictions (part 3 of article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine). He was fined 5 100 hryvnias, with confiscation of all seized equipment in favor of the state. The offender was also ordered to pay 665,60 UAH in court fees.
This was reported by the Telegram channel “Sudom po skhemakh” citing case No. 725/8167/26, adopted on 29 October 2026.
💡 Tips from “Sudom po skhemakh”
1. No experiments with the “green corridor.” Moving any dual-use devices or UAV components across the border requires mandatory written declaration and special permits. Trying to smuggle them “on a hunch” inevitably ends in confiscation and court proceedings.
2. Get permits in advance. If you transport equipment that may fall under state export control, obtain conclusions from the relevant agencies ahead of time. Lack of paperwork turns a legitimate shipment into contraband.
3. “I didn’t hide them” doesn’t save you from liability. Even if you immediately showed the goods to customs officers, choosing the “green corridor” without permits for special goods is qualified as non-declaration with all legal consequences.
Telegram publication
