Russia keeps receiving German equipment for the production of ammunition

In 2023, German companies supplied more than 300 automated machines to Russia. They are used to produce ammunition and vehicle parts.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to an investigation by the SWR TV company, which analyzed customs documents, as well as photos and videos.

“Despite the sanctions, German industrial goods continue to flow to Russia. According to SWR's research, more than 300 machines that can be used to produce vehicle parts or ammunition were delivered in 2023, often via Turkey,” the article says.

These computer-controlled machines can, for example, cut steel, bend sheet metal, or weld metal parts fully automatically. Without such machines, the production of vehicle parts and ammunition is virtually unthinkable.

According to experts, in Russia, 80% of CNC machines are currently used in military production.

According to SWR, German products are actively used by companies that supply the Russian army with engines and aircraft parts. These include Parsec, Kamaz, NIR, and Industrial Solutions.

According to customs documents, German equipment continued to be delivered to these companies until the end of 2023. It is possible that Russia will continue to receive German machines this year.

The journalists also managed to identify more than 30 German manufacturers whose machines were imported to Russia last year, many of them located in Baden-Württemberg, a traditional place of machine building.

The manufacturers include: Walter Maschinenbau, Vollmer, Fein GmbH, Heller, etc.

In about two-thirds of cases, equipment from Germany is delivered to Russia through intermediaries in Turkey. Some of the Turkish intermediaries involved have direct ties to Russia, and some were founded by Russian entrepreneurs.

In turn, German companies told SWR that they comply with sanctions against Moscow and do not know how their machines ended up in Russia.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 11/10/2024