The Trap Aggressor team has received a unique report of the International Working Group on Russian Sanctions, in which experts, at the governmental level, systematize the supplies of machine tools to produce weapons to the aggressor state.

The report draws attention primarily to high-precision equipment for weapons production which is used in the war against Ukraine, in particular, computer numerical control (CNC) machines tools, turning lathes, milling machines, etc. As of today, Russian is not capable of providing itself with such equipment on its own. It means that it cannot produce many kinds of weaponry without assistance of Western companies. 

According to the report, prior to the full-scale invasion, Russia imported around 75-80% machine tools in the country. It 2022, it imported 70% of all machine tools. At the same time, the terrorist-state imported 3 000 machine tools in 2021, 6 000 machine tools in 2022, and 9 000 CNC machines only in the first half of 2023. Although Russia receives the bulk of all machine tools from China, West-made produce also find its way to the sanctioned aggressor state. One can refer in this respect to different brands such as Siemens (Germany), Fanuc (Japan), DN Solutions (South Korea) and others.

The report includes evidence of Russia using CNC machines at companies of the military and industrial complex. Using just open sources, the experts have managed to identify 34 Russian factories of the military and industrial complex which use German machines, 16 factories which use Japan-made machines, and 8 factories using Swiss machines, etc.

Another threat of supplying machine tools to Russia is posed by the fact of production capabilities of Western companies in the so-called “risky jurisdictions” or, in other words, countries which have not joined the sanctions coalition against Russia. For example, the German TRUMPF has 4 producers of CNC machines in China, and the German Spinner has a factory in Turkey. As a reminder, Trap Aggressor earlier informed that a Spinner-made machine tool was on its way from Turkey to a Russian ammunition manufacturer.  

Among other things, the report recommends imposing sanctions on Russian importers and their suppliers, setting remote control of machines tools and introducing further restrictions regarding less technologically advanced tools and components to service them.

The Trap Aggressor team firmly believes that Western governments must oblige businesses to meticulously check the clients that buy their equipment which can be used by the Russian military and industrial complex. The sanctions will feature large gaps unless close cooperation of the public and private sectors is established and new rules of global trade are introduced.