The Canadian tycoon accused of helping Russia’s ‘war machine’

The headquarters of “Canada’s most controversial arms supplier” is a sprawling warehouse complex in the United Arab Emirates that produces armoured vehicles for the world’s war zones.Gherman Goutorov started Streit Group in the 1990s in a strip mall north of Toronto, before moving his manufacturing hub far from the reach of Canadian arms control laws.Since then, the Canadian citizen has acquired a $12 million superyacht, a $6 million French chateau-style mansion and a pro-Russia celebrity brand ambassador, Steven Seagal.But a Global News investigation has found that Goutorov’s company has a significant record of business dealings with Russia, and is facing growing international scrutiny as a result.For the past year, Western governments have been turning up the heat on Goutorov, accusing the 60-year-old of equipping Russian forces amidst the Ukraine war.The 27 nations of the European Union, as well as Switzerland, placed Streit Group on their sanctions lists last October, and then added Goutorov himself in May.“Goutorov is supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex by being involved in the supply of military technology and equipment,” the EU wrote.On Aug. 6, the Canadian g...