Despite sanctions delivered to Moscow

There are photos on which the Russian politician Dmitrij Rogosin can be seen after the attack on Ukraine with a rifle by Czech production and a pistol of the Austrian Glock brand. There are always reports that western weapons are sold to Russia despite sanctions.

Before the war, Russia was an important market for hunting weapons, confirms Beretta. « However, the allegations that we had delivered weapons to Russia after the outbreak of war are simply wrong, » says a Beretta spokeswoman. « We have stopped all activities in Russia with the war in Ukraine. In other words, we are nonsense. We are one of the most regulated industries and work with many European governments. »

The Italian gun manufacturer, founded in 1526 and still owned by the same name, has its Holdingsitz in Luxembourg. Beretta is about 58 percent involved in the arms dealer Russkiy Oryol in Russia. At the beginning of the war in February 2022, Beretta had his own information resting in the company in Russia. The official Russian importer of Beretta products was included in the US sanction list in June 2024. Business relationships with sanctioned entities bring legal and financial risks.

That the Italians violate EU and US sanctions and risk corresponding punishments to sell hunting rifles or pistols to Russia- how likely is that? And yet it may well be that weapons from the factory in Gardone still appear in Russia today. Maybe also in combat areas in Ukraine.

The Austrian pistol manufacturer Glock, meanwhile, explains that « all embargo and sanction regulations worldwide and all other legal requirements are strictly obtained and no economic activities in or with Russia. »

The company states that the reports that weapons of European manufacturers like Glock like Glock also appeared in Russia after February 2022: « Whether and how it came about is not known. Glock has not delivered weapons to Russia. » After Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022, export control no longer granted export permits for weapons and ammunition to Russia.

Weakness of the sanctions

Apparently, weapons of Western production were legally carried out to countries before the start of the war, from where they were then bought up by Russian arms dealers, as can be seen from import/export databases. Even after the start of the war, European or American gun manufacturers legally delivered rifles, pistols and ammunition to customers, for example to Turkey, to the United Arab Emirates or to Kazakhstan – from where these weapons were then sold by the new owner to Russia after the war. These countries have not issued sanctions against Russia.

The sale of legally acquired weapons from there to customers in Russia is – or recently – legal, provided that the respective export license of the local authorities has been granted. From the export/import database of Importgenius.com It can be seen that Russian companies such as Arsenal Weapons Salon, Hunter-Ru, Kolchuga, Orel, Test-Oruzhie imported weapons of Western production, whereby it remains unclear where these weapons then went in Russia.

The Luxembourg Foreign Trade Ministry explains: « The sanctions imposed on Russia are among the most far -reaching in the history of the EU. In the meantime, 16 sanction packages have been passed that affect various economic areas of Russia, there are also sanctions against people who support the war of attack in Russia. These measures include a weapon embar, including: a ban on the sale, delivery or expression of weapons and Adjacent material of all kinds according to Russia. « 

There are occasional reports, photos and film material on which you can see western weapons in the hands of Russian armed forces in Ukraine. According to the Importgenius.com database, brackets for riflescope of German production were also sold in April 2024 by a « hunting and fishing KG » in Kyrgyzan to a « KLJ GmbH » in Moscow.

The EU Embargo about a ban on weapon sales to Russia was already imposed by Russia in 2014 after the annexation of the crime heads that were contrary to international law. Only delivery contracts that were concluded before August 1, 2014 were still allowed. Additional restrictive measures were imposed in February 2022, including a comprehensive weapon embargo without exceptions to contracts concluded in advance.

« Concrete references to the illegal deflection of weapons »

In November 2023, the Correctiv media association reports after a look at the state Russian database for import certificates that Russia has nevertheless imported thousands of firearms since the beginning of the war, including more than a hundred sniper rifles, and almost eight million shots of ammunition from Western manufacturers. When asked, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy announced that « after February 2022 there was credible and concrete references to the illegal deflection of weapons via neighboring countries in Russia ».

« The EU member states are responsible for the implementation of the EU sanctions as well as the determination of violations and the imposition of sanctions by their responsible national authorities, » says the EU Commission. « No re-export » clauses would have a « deterrent effect on non-EU companies that redirect sanctioned EU goods to Russia, since they will be subjected to contractual penalties, for example. »

Since March 20, 2024, all exporters, in the event of the delivery of weapons and ammunition to a third country, have had to contractually prohibit their customers back to Russia or Belarus (« no-russia »/ »No Belarus » clause). Compliance with this final removal declaration is checked by customs and export control. The measure seems to be used. At least as far as weapons are concerned.

What is striking, on the other hand, has no longer been sold directly to Russia since March 2023 laboratory devices, auto parts, pumps, pumps and centrifuges from European production from European production, but are increasingly finding the way to Russia through the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, Kyrgyzstan or China.