A Polish website has reported that German company Fraport AG holds a stake in Russia's Pulkovo Airport, which is reportedly being used for military aircraft in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Fraport's major shareholders include the central German state of Hesse (30 percent), the central German city of Frankfurt (20 percent), and a Frankfurt energy company (20 percent).

In 2010, Fraport was granted a 30-year license for shares in Pulkovo and a permit for construction projects at the airport near St. Petersburg by the Russian government. While initially a civilian airport, Pulkovo is now also serving as a base for Russian army aircraft involved in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February of the previous year.

In May, a plane carrying supplies for Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries, who are fighting in Ukraine, reportedly took off from Pulkovo, as per an investigation by German broadcasters Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NRD), Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WRD), and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Satellite images also revealed a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber landing at Pulkovo on March 5, according to Germany's Tagesschau TV news program.

Fraport stated last year that it does not bear responsibility for the airport's activities, emphasizing that decisions on aircraft traffic at Pulkovo are under the purview of the Russian government. The company said its activities related to shares in Pulkovo have been suspended, indicating that it may not be profiting or incurring losses from the airport.

However, due to contractual obligations, Fraport cannot sell its stake in Pulkovo before 2025. The German company currently owns or partially owns 28 airports worldwide. Photo by Dmitry Avdeev, Wikimedia commons.