German industrial equipment continues to reach Russia despite the EU sanctions, potentially aiding its military production capabilities, according to an investigation by German public broadcaster SWR aired on 10 October 2024, as per ARD’s Tagesschau.
The investigation revealed that more than 300 machines capable of manufacturing vehicle parts or ammunition were delivered to Russia in 2023, often through third countries like Türkiye. These deliveries reportedly play a significant role in Russia’s efforts to maintain its military capabilities amid ongoing sanctions.
Olena Yurchenko from the Economic Security Council of Ukraine said that 80% of CNC machines in Russia today are used in military production, adding:
“With computer-aided CNC machines, they can produce much faster and more precisely, which is extremely important in the weapons sector. As a result, they can ultimately produce even deadlier weapons.”
The SWR investigation identified more than 30 German manufacturers whose machines were imported to Russia last year, many of them based in Baden-Württemberg, a traditional center for mechanical engineering. In about two-thirds of the cases, the machines were imported to Russia via Türkiye.
The investigation found evidence of German machines being used by Russian companies supplying the military with engines and parts for aircraft and missiles. Companies such as Parsek, Kamaz, NIR, and Industrial Solutions were identified as using German machines while supplying the Russian military.
When contacted by SWR, German machine manufacturers stated they always comply with sanctions regulations and could not explain how their machines ended up in Russia. They suggested that Turkish dealers may have violated terms without the knowledge of German producers.
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- EU tightening sanctions regime on Russia by targeting sanction dodgers across Asia
- StateWatch: German-made shell production machine on its way to Russia
- Block Western CNCs, then Russia’s arsenal fails
- How EU firms funnel electronics to Russia’s war machine via an obscure Turkish firm
- Taiwan expands export controls on machine tools to Russia, Belarus
- Insider: Taiwan becomes Russia’s top supplier of precision machine tools
