Stark Logistics, a transport company partly owned by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ (Reform) husband Arvo Hallik, has continued doing business with Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is despite government criticism of companies that have done so.
Last week, Kristjan Kraag, CEO of Stark Logistics, told ERR that the company had practically stopped transporting freight to Russia, though had not completely ceased its operations.
“Customers in Estonia, our haulage partners, have dialed back. Our volumes have fallen so much that we’ve been forced to reorient our activities. We have trucks going to the Baltics, Scandinavia and Poland instead,” Kraag said.
In addition to almost all goods groups being covered by sanctions, the company has not made an effort to maintain its business in Russia. The few trips we make now are largely the last loads. “A part of it is moving factory fittings out or bringing them back home so companies can wrap up,” he remarked.
Deliveries to Russia, meanwhile, have been continuing since February 24, 2022.
The CEO did not want to say how many deliveries the company has made to Russia during that time.
Below, are the answers to questions, which were originally intended for company part-owner and board member Arvo Hallik, but were answered by CEO Kristjan Kraag.
At the same time, Hallik told ERR, that as CEO, Kraag follows the guidelines laid out by the company’s supervisory board, including those related to the direction of the business.
Can you specify what type of deliveries Stark Logistics makes to Russia? And what kind of factory residuals are we talking about?
We are not able to specify the specifics of the deliveries by customer. It is a question of moving stock residues. That is, goods that are not subject to sanctions.
To what extent have you delivered to Russia between February 24, 2022 up to today?
I do not wish to comment.
Your company still has a separate logistics manager for Russia, why is this necessary? What are their current tasks? (Up until last week, Stark Logistics’ website listed its business focus as Western Europe and Russia. Under this, it stated that the logistics manager for Russia was Kristina Ermakova, who is now listed under its Western Europe business line – ed.).
We do not wish to comment on the company’s HR policy and assignment of people. We had outdated information up on the web. We have restructured our operations and made the necessary corrections for the time being.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, did you, as a member of the board and as an owner, not have the idea that you might completely stop doing business in Russia or with Russia? Please explain your response.
Historically, our deliveries to Russia have been related to the supplying of groups based in Estonia. As the beneficiaries of these deliveries are not Russian citizens, the deliveries we carry out do not involve spending any money in Russia. If these deliveries had been ordered by a local Russian carrier, the Estonian customer would have been paying directly to the beneficiaries in Russia for these services.
Up to two deliveries per week
In addition to the earlier response, within a few hours, Kraag sent an additional reply, which had been coordinated with the only customer the company still delivers to in Russia.
Weird, this sub taught me that eastern europe united was united behind Ukraine and that only western europe was capable of betrayals.
Surely Kaja Kallas, hailed by some as Europe’s new Iron Lady againsts Russia, knew nothing about it.
Apparently she also loaned 350k to this company so doubt that she was ‘unaware’ of where her money was going?
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Stark Logistics, a transport company partly owned by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ (Reform) husband Arvo Hallik, has continued doing business with Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is despite government criticism of companies that have done so.
Last week, Kristjan Kraag, CEO of Stark Logistics, told ERR that the company had practically stopped transporting freight to Russia, though had not completely ceased its operations.
“Customers in Estonia, our haulage partners, have dialed back. Our volumes have fallen so much that we’ve been forced to reorient our activities. We have trucks going to the Baltics, Scandinavia and Poland instead,” Kraag said.
In addition to almost all goods groups being covered by sanctions, the company has not made an effort to maintain its business in Russia. The few trips we make now are largely the last loads. “A part of it is moving factory fittings out or bringing them back home so companies can wrap up,” he remarked.
Deliveries to Russia, meanwhile, have been continuing since February 24, 2022.
The CEO did not want to say how many deliveries the company has made to Russia during that time.
Below, are the answers to questions, which were originally intended for company part-owner and board member Arvo Hallik, but were answered by CEO Kristjan Kraag.
At the same time, Hallik told ERR, that as CEO, Kraag follows the guidelines laid out by the company’s supervisory board, including those related to the direction of the business.
Can you specify what type of deliveries Stark Logistics makes to Russia? And what kind of factory residuals are we talking about?
We are not able to specify the specifics of the deliveries by customer. It is a question of moving stock residues. That is, goods that are not subject to sanctions.
To what extent have you delivered to Russia between February 24, 2022 up to today?
I do not wish to comment.
Your company still has a separate logistics manager for Russia, why is this necessary? What are their current tasks? (Up until last week, Stark Logistics’ website listed its business focus as Western Europe and Russia. Under this, it stated that the logistics manager for Russia was Kristina Ermakova, who is now listed under its Western Europe business line – ed.).
We do not wish to comment on the company’s HR policy and assignment of people. We had outdated information up on the web. We have restructured our operations and made the necessary corrections for the time being.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, did you, as a member of the board and as an owner, not have the idea that you might completely stop doing business in Russia or with Russia? Please explain your response.
Historically, our deliveries to Russia have been related to the supplying of groups based in Estonia. As the beneficiaries of these deliveries are not Russian citizens, the deliveries we carry out do not involve spending any money in Russia. If these deliveries had been ordered by a local Russian carrier, the Estonian customer would have been paying directly to the beneficiaries in Russia for these services.
Up to two deliveries per week
In addition to the earlier response, within a few hours, Kraag sent an additional reply, which had been coordinated with the only customer the company still delivers to in Russia.
Weird, this sub taught me that eastern europe united was united behind Ukraine and that only western europe was capable of betrayals.
Surely Kaja Kallas, hailed by some as Europe’s new Iron Lady againsts Russia, knew nothing about it.
Apparently she also loaned 350k to this company so doubt that she was ‘unaware’ of where her money was going?
Double standards