On May 1, the US updated its sanctions list against Russia. The new list includes companies and individuals that operate or have operated in the defence sector of Russian economy. Companies investigated by Trap Aggressor are also now sanctioned by the US. 

In December 2023, Trap Aggressor investigated how Russian truck manufacturer KAMAZ supplied the Russian army, and studied the major suppliers of details for the manufacturing of these trucks. KAMAZ is affiliated with the Russian state corporation Rostec to which it belongs by less than 50%. In March 2022, KAMAZ trucks were spotted in Belarus, likely operated by the military. During the full-scale war, these trucks were also transporting Russian military personnel throughout Ukraine. KAMAZ is directly involved in the production of military equipment for the Russian Ministry of Defense and other security forces used by Russia in the war against Ukraine. 

KAMAZ has been under US and EU sanctions since June 2022. Now the US Treasury Department has imposed new restrictions on several other companies that cooperate with KAMAZ. The updated US sanctions targeted a Russian company Turbo King, a wholesaler of auto parts that imported products for KAMAZ. The list also includes NPO Rostar LLC, a company that manufactures vehicles and automotive components. 

In 2023, Turbo King and NPO Rostar imported $2.7 million worth of products from PowerLine Automotive GmbH, an Austrian company associated with the family of CEO of KAMAZ Sergei Kogogin. In December 2023, Trap Aggressor discovered that relatives, friends and former colleagues of Sergey Kogogin have created a network of companies in the EU, which, despite the sanctions, supply components necessary to produce Russian vehicles used in the war against Ukraine.

In addition to Turbo King and NPO Rostar, the list includes a Turkish company AYA Universal Denizcilik Kumanyacilik Liman Hizmetleri Ithalat Ihracat Limited Sirketi. It supplied spare parts for diesel internal combustion engines and pumps for KAMAZ.

However, it is important to mention that the CEO of KAMAZ Sergei Kogogin, who directly supports the Kremlin and supplies the Russian army, is still not in the US or EU sanctions lists. What’s more, some of his relatives and colleagues that helped the entrepreneur organize an illegal network to supply details for KAMAZ from abroad, are also not sanctioned by the West.