Europe and China have sold Russia US$18 billion worth of machines and spare parts for weapons production
Pravda Ukraine
Russia was able to purchase more than 22,000 CNC machines, components and consumables worth US$18.2 billion during 2023 and the first seven months of 2024.
Source: a study by the NGO Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU).
Quote: “Without CNC machines, manufacturing virtually any weapon would be impossible, making their procurement critical to sustaining Russian aggression,” the organisation explains.
Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia imported 70-90% of its CNC machines. The figure for related original components was even higher, at 80-95%.
According to the customs payments analysed by the ESCU, the top three manufacturing countries are:
- China – over 62% of all supplies, worth US$2.6 billion;
- Taiwan – 8.9%, worth US$371 million;
- South Korea – 5.47%, worth US$228 million.
Almost a tenth of Russia’s imports came from European manufacturers. Russia obtained more than 10,000 CNC machines worth US$405 million, including:
- Italy – 4,459 machines worth US$168.8 million.
- Germany – 2,849 machines worth US$139.9 million.
Even more than the machines themselves, Russia has been buying spare parts and consumables for them – over US$14 billion worth. More than US$7 billion worth of these were manufactured in China, but a significant share was also purchased in Europe, the study says.
Over 20% of components, or US$2.6 billion worth, were made in Switzerland, and 3.5% (US$500 million worth) of components and materials were made in Germany.
Background:
- Although it does not provide direct lethal assistance, China exports equipment and technology and shares satellite images with Russia to use in the war against Ukraine and help build up its military industrial complex.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is said to have provided allies with alarming information about the extent of cooperation between China and Russia. Moreover, the US Treasury Department has warned that companies that supply the Russian military industrial complex with goods and technologies will face serious consequences.
- China has imposed sanctions on two major US arms companies in response to their arms sales to Taiwan.
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