A complex German processing machine used to produce tank shells is en route to Russia, reported the Ukrainian sanctions accountability project, Trap Aggressor.
The CNC lathe, created by the German manufacturing company Spinner, was imported by a Russian company, YUMAK, and transported through Turkey.
Its intended destination is the Russian Serov Mechanical Plant, which produces tank shells and other ammunition.
The information about the machine transfer was verified by Ukraine’s National Corruption Prevention Agency (NACP), who also reported that they sent a letter to Spinner condemning the transaction and clarifying that it would be used to produce shells used by the Russian military.
Spinner has had an office in Russia since 2011, and continued to supply components for the Russian military industry, including to companies under Ukrainian sanction, after the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Anna Myroniuk
In 2023, Spinner stopped directly sending military hardware to Russia, and instead went through intermediary countries and companies, which Trap Aggressor alleges is an attempt to disguise their final destination and evade sanctions.
Trap Aggressor alleges that Spinner’s business dealings with Russia have increased sixfold since 2021.
Despite widespread sanctions against Russia’s military-industrial complex, Western companies have found ways to bypass them and continue business dealings with Russia.
Trap Aggressor is a project created by the Ukrainian NGO StateWatch, which was created in 2018 to help promote good governance.
