NEW YORK, September 1. /TASS/. Arthur Petrov, a man with dual Russian-German citizenship, has been arrested in the Republic of Cyprus at the request of the United States, on charges of illicitly exporting US-sourced microelectronics, the US Department of Justice said in a statement.

According to the Department of Justice, Petrov "allegedly participated in an illicit procurement network" which "illegally procured large quantities of US-sourced sensitive microelectronics" for a Russian company after the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. That company was "a supplier of critical electronics components for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military," the statement says.

The Department of Justice said these operations were conducted in violation of US export controls.

The department said the purchases of sensitive materials were carried out via shell companies in order to conceal their ultimate destination.

The charges against him include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States. Overall, the charges against Petrov entail the maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

The suspect is expected to be extradited from Cyprus to the United States soon.