Italian companies have shipped over $2.3 million worth of industrial equipment to Russia in 2024-2025, with some deliveries made directly while others went through Kazakhstan and Türkiye, according to an investigation by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine cited by Italian media outlet Linkiesta.
Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia primarily in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aiming to cripple its economy, weaken support for President Vladimir Putin, and pressure Russia to cease its aggression and withdraw from Ukrainian territory. Russia has managed to overcome many of these sanctions by pivoting economically towards non-Western partners like China, India, Türkiye, and the UAE. Russia increased parallel imports through third countries, and formalizing such practices to bypass restrictions. Russia also developed a shadow tanker fleet to evade Western oil price caps and has seen significant trade growth with China and India, which together helped sustain its economy despite Western efforts to isolate it.
The equipment from FPT Industrie, HELVI, and HARDITALIA was displayed at the Metalworking-2025 exhibition in Moscow. Among 49 deliveries were goods falling under EU sanctions due to potential military use, according to Linkesta.
According to customs data analyzed by the organization, a sanctioned CNC machine from FPT Industrie S.p.A. worth $1.83 million was exported by Kazakhstan's LLP Genius Loci, which also participated in Metalworking-2025. An identical FPT Industrie machine appeared in the official Metalworking-2025 catalogue.
Another Italian company, Harditalia S.R.L., sold its equipment directly to Russia. Among 19 deliveries in 2024-25 worth $273,129 were grinding machines, hydraulic presses, wire forming machines, and gear-making equipment—all included in Annex I of European Regulation 833/2014, which prohibits exports of goods with potential military use to Russia.
Russia received 29 shipments of goods from Italian company Helvi worth $288,870 through Türkiye, including arc welding machines, electrical discharge machines, and static converters listed as dual-use items. An official subsidiary called Helvi LLC operates in Russia, promoting and distributing Italian products through the website helvi-weld.ru, using the same branding, materials, and graphics as the parent company Helvi.
"Most of this production already falls under EU sanctions. Therefore, the key question is their compliance and liability for violations. Both Italian companies and the country's government must bear responsibility, as ensuring the implementation of EU sanctions is the duty of member states," explained Roman Steblivskyi, policy and advocacy expert at the Economic Security Council of Ukraine.
Another Italian publication, Corriere della Sera, also citing the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, reported that Italy was one of the main suppliers of epoxy resin necessary for producing Iskander-M missiles. Russia received at least 232 tons of liquid epoxy resins from Italy in 2024, accounting for 21% of imports and making the country the second supplier after China, which provided 42%. Resin deliveries were made by Sir Industriale S.p.A from the city of Maro-in-Brianza in Lombardy.
In response to Corriere della Sera's inquiry, the company stated that due to its high molecular weight, its products are intended only for civilian use: coating tuna cans, preserves, or steel products.
However, customs data analyzed by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine and Corriere della Sera recorded 18 shipments of low-molecular-weight liquid epoxy resins from Sir Industriale S.p.A with HS code 3907300009, which can be used in military production. The importers were Russian companies Uralproekt, YaZPK, and Prime Top, linked to JSC Scientific and Production Corporation KBM, which manufactures missiles for Iskander-M systems. Some transactions were conducted through Polish company Kamex Magazyn, which may indicate an attempt to conceal the final recipient.
