Russia bought thousands of CNC machines that make weapons in Europe in 2023-2024
23 January 18:23
Russia was able to purchase more than 22,000 computer numerical control (CNC) machines, as well as components and consumables for them, worth $18.2 billion in 2023 and the first seven months of 2024. These purchases are critical to the continuation of military aggression, as most weapons cannot be manufactured without CNC machines. At the same time, some of this equipment was purchased from European companies. This is stated in a study by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine (NEC), according to Komersant ukrainskyi.
Russia’s dependence on machine tool imports
Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, imports satisfied 70-90% of Russia’s needs for CNC machines and 80-95% of its needs for related components. With the start of the war, the dependence remained, but the suppliers of the equipment changed.
Countries producing the equipment
An analysis of customs data showed that the main suppliers of CNC machines to Russia during the period under review were:
- China – more than 62% of all deliveries worth $2.6 billion;
- Taiwan – 8.9% for $371 million;
- South Korea – 5.47% or $228 million.
At the same time, European producers account for a significant share of imports. Here, Russia received more than 10 thousand CNC machines worth $405 million. The largest suppliers were:
- Italy – 4,459 machines worth $168.8 million;
- Germany – 2,849 machines worth $139.9 million.
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Components and consumables
Purchases of components and consumables for machine tools exceeded the volume of supplies of machine tools themselves and amounted to more than $14 billion.
- Products from China amounted to more than $7 billion.
- European manufacturers accounted for a significant share: 20% of all components worth $2.6 billion were manufactured in Switzerland, and 3.5%, worth $500 million, in Germany.
Circumventing sanctions
The sanctions coalition stepped up efforts to block Russia’s access to CNC equipment at the end of 2023. In particular, the 12th and 14th EU sanctions packages imposed strict bans on the export and re-export of equipment to Russia. However, these restrictions do not fully apply to the subsidiaries of European companies in third countries, such as Turkey, China, India, and Malaysia.
In particular, Russia has received at least 57 machine tools worth more than $26.5 million produced by subsidiaries of European brands. Components and consumables worth more than $9.5 million were also supplied.
For example, the Istanbul division of the German company Emag Salach GmbH manufactured 17 CNC machines worth $14.7 million, which were later exported to Russia. This equipment is used at military plants in Russia, such as the Titan-Barricades Research and Production Center, which manufactures ballistic missile launchers and artillery system components.
Russia has also received products from subsidiaries of other European brands, including Trumpf, DMG Mori, Chiron, Grob, Schneider Electric, Siemens, and others.
“Third countries are acting as transit hubs for equipment that eventually ends up in Russia, while sanctions compliance and control by parent companies remain weak. This undermines the effectiveness of the EU’s sanctions policy. It is necessary to introduce a complete ban on exports and re-exports for subsidiaries in third countries, as well as to clearly define the responsibility of violators and thoroughly investigate each case when the products of European companies or their subsidiaries are supplied to Russia,”
– commented Denys Hutyk, Executive Director of the REB.
Full text of the study: