Key findings:
- The Stupinskaya Metallurgical Company (SMC) is a key producer of alloys for the Russian military-industrial complex, including missile and combat aircraft engines.
- Until July 2024, the company continued to import materials through partners in Turkey, China, Italy, and Israel, sometimes despite international sanctions.
- SMC’s management and their relatives actively support the war against Ukraine.
- The use of foreign resources allows SMC to increase the production of weapons that are used by the Russian army to kill Ukrainian citizens.
Iskander-K, Kalibr, X-101, X-59 – the names of these missiles or missile systems are familiar to every Ukrainian, because Russians regularly use these weapons to destroy Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainians. On the morning of May 27, 2022, an Iskander-K cruise missile that was launched from the Rostov region hit a barracks of the National Guard of Ukraine in the Dnipro region. It killed 10 people and injured more than 30 others. The raw materials for the production of this missile were supplied to the UDK-Saturn plant by the Stupinskaya Metallurgical Company. However, neither the executives of this company nor its managers are still under sanctions.
Stupinskaya Metallurgical Company is one of the largest producers of heat-resistant nickel alloys, special steels, titanium and aluminum alloys in Russia. SMC’s products are used in all Russian aircraft: in the engine designs of MiG and Su fighter jets, An-124, An-225, Il-96 transport aircraft, Be-200 amphibious aircraft, and others. Therefore, the company actively cooperates with Russian military-industrial enterprises. It is the only company in Russia that supplies casting alloys and disks for engine-building enterprises. It is also the only Russian manufacturer of special alloys required for the construction of supersonic strategic bombers.
SMC supplies its products to UDK-Saturn, a developer and manufacturer of engines for Kalibr cruise missiles, Iskander-K, X-101, X-59, etc. Here are some other Russian companies that are supplied by SMC:
- JSC Aviation Gearboxes and Transmissions-Perm Motors is one of the largest enterprises that specializes in the production of missile engines for the first stage of medium and heavy launch vehicles;
- PJSC UDK-Ufa Engine Manufacturing Association is an innovative enterprise that develops, manufactures and provides after-sales service for gas turbine engines for military aviation;
- Balashikha Foundry and Mechanical Plant is one of the largest aircraft repair plants in the Russian Federation. The company specializes in the manufacture of aircraft wheels for military and civilian aircraft and helicopters;
- Zelenodolsky Gorky Plant produces missile military boats, etc.
However, Russian companies still need foreign components and resources. According to customs data, during the full-scale invasion alone, SMC received goods worth more than $28 million from abroad. The goods were supplied by China, Turkey, India, and Italy. However, the origin of the products could be from China (62%) and Italy (9%), as well as from Ukraine (5%), Turkey (4.5%), Israel (4%), etc. The company received mainly CNC machines to increase its capacity (20%) and raw titanium and titanium powders (11%).
A quarter of the goods (22%) were supplied by Redwing Metal, a Turkish company specializing in the steel industry. Founded in 2022 in Istanbul, the company provides aluminum semi-finished products to multimetal service centers and distributors. It is a member of the Dutch-Turkish business association DBA Turkey, which promotes, expands and supports business and investment between the Netherlands and Turkey. The official website of Redwing Metal lists Alexander Tattersall as the contact person.
