A German optical equipment manufacturer continued supplying sighting systems to Russia during the full-scale war in Ukraine by routing shipments through Türkiye, according to an investigation by the Trap Aggressor team.
Kilic Feintechnik GmbH, based in Schwebheim, Germany, has sold nearly $800,000 worth of MAK sights to Russia since the beginning of the invasion, the investigation found. The company switched to using a Turkish intermediary after direct shipments became problematic under sanctions.
“The scheme of supplying German sights to Russia demonstrates a systematic approach to circumventing sanctions: from direct deliveries to a full-scale invasion to the use of a Turkish company as a proxy after it has begun,” said in the investigation.
The investigation gained access to customs documents showing that while the German-made sights were labeled as “not for military use,” they were classified under HS codes that the Kyiv School of Economics has identified as “critical for the military equipment of the Russian Federation.”
These sights are openly promoted for combat use in Russia. In September 2023, Marat Sutaiev, described as “an honorary member of the so-called ‘SVO’ (Russians call the full-scale war in Ukraine a ‘special military operation’), an instructor in military training for the Russian occupying forces, a trainer for the FSB, GRU and other Russian government agencies,” published a review recommending the MAK Kilic – MAKpro 5 sight for combat conditions.
The primary Russian distributor of these products is the Center for Electronic Commerce LLC (CEC), a Moscow-based company that has thrived during the war. “After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company’s business went up, and in 2023, CEC’s profit amounted to 1.9 billion rubles or more than $22 million,” the investigation revealed.
According to customs data, Kilic Feintechnik began routing shipments through a recently established Turkish company called Yagmur global dis ticaret limited sirketi starting in October 2022. This Turkish entity was registered shortly before sanctions-evading trade began on 4 July 2022.
The Turkish company operates a website called Mak Meos that uses branding similar to the German manufacturer but openly markets military products.
International lawyer Bohdan Bernatskyi said that EU companies should follow due diligence rules, especially for dual-use goods.
“If the relevant authorities find evidence that a German company has neglected compliance or taken counterparty due diligence lightly, then such an exporting company and its representatives may face fines and imprisonment,” Bernatskyi said.
The German sights continue to be sold in Moscow, including at the annual Orëlexpo arms exhibition near Red Square. The investigation notes that these products are advertised as meeting “NATO military standards” and being “ready to work in inhumane conditions.”
Trap Aggressor reports they contacted Kilic Feintechnik GmbH for comment but received no response by publication time.
Several international companies have been implicated in supplying military-related products to Russia, despite international sanctions.
The investigation by The Insider and Investigace.cz released on 24 January showed that nine European industrial companies from countries like the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland continue supplying equipment to Russian clients, including military factories, often through subsidiaries or intermediaries. These companies provide dual-use goods critical to Russia’s defense industry, such as machine tools, gas equipment, and steel products, circumventing restrictions under the EU’s 11th sanctions package
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