Pietro Gussalli Beretta, president and CEO of Beretta Holding
Russian soldiers are armed with Italian made weapons.
That’s what was uncovered in an investigation by The Insider, a military news site based in Ukraine.
Italy stands with Ukraine against Russia. No weapons—either large or small—are to be sold to Russia. That’s been the policy of the European Union since the war began in 2022.
Yet, Beretta, Italy’s largest and most famous gun manufacturer, has since then supplied Russian soldiers with a limited number of firearms.
Pietro Gussalli Beretta, president and CEO of Beretta Holding
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Investigation
The president and CEO of Beretta Holding, Pietro Gussalli Beretta, served on the board of the Russian company Russkiy Oryol (Russian Eagle) throughout 2022, according to an investigation by the Ukrainian news site, The Insider.
In 2022, Russian Eagle imported into Russia some 3,919 firearms, manufactured by companies within the European Beretta Holding group. Beretta Holding has remained the majority owner of the Russian company.
Most of the imported weapons were hunting shotguns. However, shipments also included hundreds of sniper rifles and military-style shotguns. By no later than 2025, Russian forces had begun using Benelli shotguns to defend against FPV drones. Tikka and Sako sniper rifles, manufactured at Beretta Holding's Finnish facilities, are also reportedly being used by Russian marksmen.
The Insider and IRPI Media published a joint investigation reporting that Beretta Holding owned the major Russian firearms importer Russian Eagle LLC. The United States later placed Beretta's Russian subsidiary under sanctions and arrested two intermediaries accused of supplying firearms through Kyrgyzstan.
Italian and European Union authorities have not opened investigations into the allegations by The Insider. In a closed session, Beretta's president was questioned during Italian parliamentary hearings in February 2026 about weapons allegedly reaching Russia. The Insider article further claims that companies owned by Beretta's Russian business associate, Mikhail Khubutiya, continues to receive Beretta firearms, with the latest known shipment processed in April 2026.
Shotguns supplied by Beretta were used by Russian soldiers to destroy Ukrainian drones.
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Production, Ownership, and Management
According to Beretta Holding's 2022 Corporate Governance and Ownership Report, CEO Pietro Gussalli Beretta held executive positions in 19 additional organizations. One of those organizations was Russian Eagle LLC, a Russian firearms importer in which Beretta Holding still owns a 57% stake.
Based on the documents reviewed, The Insider concludes that throughout 2022 the Russian company was managed with the participation of Beretta Holding's chief executive while simultaneously importing Beretta-manufactured firearms.
From March through September 2022, Russian Eagle imported 3,919 firearms produced by:
• Benelli Armi S.p.A.
• Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A.
• Stoeger Silah Sanayi A.S. (Turkey)
—all companies within Beretta Holding.
Although most of the imports consisted of sporting shotguns, more than 1,000 firearms could be used by both civilian and military shooters, claims The Insider.
From information culled from a Russian accreditation database, Russian Eagle imported 1,164 Franchi Horizon bolt-action rifles chambered in .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. While originally developed for military use, these calibers later became widely used by civilian sportsmen and hunters as well.
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Now in Russia
The Insider investigation states that from March 2022 through February 2024, Russian importers registered at least 15,337 firearms manufactured by Western companies.
According to the article:
• 6,064 firearms (nearly 40%) were produced by Beretta Holding companies:
◦ Benelli Armi
◦ Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta
◦ Beretta Benelli Iberica
◦ Sako Limited
◦ Stoeger Silah Sanayi
The authors add that after their earlier investigation into alleged European arms smuggling, Russian authorities stopped publishing some customs data, making later imports more difficult to verify.
Benelli and Tikka in the Russian military
The article states that between February and August 2022, Russian Eagle also imported hundreds of Benelli semi-automatic shotguns, including:
• 173 Benelli M2
• 35 Benelli M3
• 120 Benelli M4
It notes that these shotguns are widely used by military and law enforcement units around the world.
The Benelli M4, originally developed for the U.S. Army Armament Center, is currently used by the armed forces of the United States, United Kingdom, and the Spanish Marine Corps.
The investigation further claims that by at least 2025, Russian forces had begun using the Benelli M4 as well. As an example, it cites a Russian Army tactical shooting championship held at Patriot Park, in Moscow, from November 9–22, 2025, where one member of each team carried a shotgun specifically for engaging drones. According to the article, some competitors chose Italian-made Benelli shotguns instead of Russia's domestically produced MP-155 manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern. The Benelli M4 was reportedly identifiable in photographs by its pistol grip and distinctive telescoping stock.
A sample of the guns manufactured by Beretta that were sold in Russia
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Editor’s Note: This is an investigative article, and the translated text reflects the claims made by The Insider. The article presents allegations based on documents it says it obtained. Whether every allegation has been independently verified or disputed by Beretta is a separate question. PRIMO contacted Beretta to allow the company to respond to the article and its allegations. No response was made by Beretta.
You can read the article by The Insider at:
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/beretta-continues-export-arms-to-russia/
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