Slovakia probes Russian traffic cameras supplied through Cyprus

Slovak authorities have launched an investigation into the procurement of 279 traffic enforcement cameras after discovering the devices were manufactured in Russia despite being presented as Cypriot products. The equipment, identified as NERO R-ONE by the Nicosia-registered company Sodasus Ltd, was revealed by the National Security Authority (NBÚ) to be a rebranded CORDON PRO.M system produced by the St. Petersburg-based firm Simicon.

The scandal emerged following allegations in early August by the opposition party Progressive Slovakia, which were initially dismissed by the Ministry of Interior. Following independent reports from the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung and local media, the NBÚ confirmed significant cybersecurity risks, noting that the devices contained worrying technical capabilities. The investigation highlighted that Sodasus Ltd, established in August 2021, has shown little evidence of previous substantial commercial activity. While the Interior Ministry had initially planned to use these cameras for a national road monitoring upgrade, the disclosure of their true origin and technical vulnerabilities has triggered an ongoing national security review.