German company ships ammunition production machine to Russia despite sanctions
A Spinner machine, used for manufacturing ammunition, is on its way from Turkey to Russia, reports the Trap Aggressor project of the analytical center StateWatch.
The machine has been ordered by the Joint Stock Company "Serovsky Mechanical Plant," a Russian military-industrial company that produces artillery shells and their casings, and is part of the Russian defense holding Rostec. Among other things, the plant manufactures casings for 152mm shells for the self-propelled artillery system Koalitsiya-SV, which Russia is using in the war against Ukraine. The mentioned Russian company has been under sanctions since March 2023.
The Russian plant has ordered a U5-630 model machine, which is used for high-precision processing of parts with complex profiles. In this case, it will be used for manufacturing tank shells for the war against Ukrainians.
According to the Trap Aggressor project, on August 30, 2023, the machine was loaded onto a truck in Turkey (where one of Spinner's branches is located) to be transported via the ferry route from Istanbul to Tuapse. The equipment is expected to arrive at the Russian plant by the end of September. The device is being imported by the Russian company Yumak.
The information has also been confirmed to journalists by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP). An official letter has also been sent to the manufacturer of the machine Spinner, informing the company that the machine has indeed been sold to the Russian army and will be used for the production of ammunition.
"We have no doubt that this device is critical to Russian aggression in Ukraine. We call on our German and Turkish partners to halt this delivery," said Agiya Zagrebska, Head of NAPC's Unit for Corruption Risk Minimization in Sanction Policy.
Notably, the total value of Spinner equipment deliveries to Russia in 2023 amounts to $10.5 million, which is six times higher than for entire 2021.