Today at 20:06
In 2024, Russia increased its imports of Chinese machine tools for its defense industry.
This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, according to Ukrinform.
“HUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has published data on 37 units of foreign equipment used by the enemy’s military-industrial complex, including the enterprise ‘Almaz-Antey,’ which manufactures anti-aircraft weaponry, and Russia’s largest tank and armored vehicle manufacturer, ‘Uralvagonzavod.’ Among the published equipment are Chinese machine tools purchased by ‘Uralvagonzavod’ in 2023-2024,” the intelligence agency stated.
HUR emphasized that Russia’s military industry remains dependent on foreign equipment, particularly CNC (computer numerical control) machines.
“In 2024, after sanctions were tightened, the supply of Western machine tools became more difficult, so the Russians increased imports of equipment from China. Transactions are mainly conducted through VTB Bank and its branch in Shanghai, with payments made in Chinese yuan,” the intelligence report noted.
According to HUR, Chinese machine tools are equipped with German and Japanese CNC systems such as Siemens, Heidenhain, and Fanuc. This is because Russian specialists have experience working with Western systems, and most design software is adapted for them.
The intelligence agency reports that Russia is actively training new specialists to work with these systems, making a transition to other technologies unlikely in the near future.
It is also noted that ‘Uralvagonzavod’ and ‘Almaz-Antey’ continue to use equipment acquired before the full-scale invasion, including machines from Emco (Austria), Grindex (Serbia), Hermle (Germany), and Tos Celakovice (Czech Republic), among others.
HUR highlighted that publishing such data is crucial for monitoring restrictions on the supply of spare parts, technical fluids, and other consumables, without which these machines cannot operate.
Overall, the “Tools of War” section of the War & Sanctions portal contains data on 1,158 units of equipment across 169 Russian military-industrial complex plants. About 20% of the listed equipment includes unique serial numbers, allowing supply chain tracking, HUR reported.
As previously reported, a new section with data on Russian arms and military equipment manufacturers was launched on the War & Sanctions portal in January.
Read also: EU wants to extend duty-free trade regime with Ukraine, says European Commission spokesman
