German law enforcement officials are to investigate whether German companies have violated sanctions amid reports of supplies to occupied Mariupol. The German government has also warned companies against participating in the restoration of the city captured by Russians. Tagesschau writes about this, UNN reports .
The German government has warned German companies against participating in the reconstruction of the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was almost completely destroyed and occupied by Russia.
"This reconstruction serves only Russian propaganda. Every company involved in this should ask themselves what service they are providing," said a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In response to reports of German involvement, a representative of the Ministry of Economy added that customs and prosecutors should find out whether German companies had violated the sanctions.
As UNN wrote , Knauf Ukraine finally refused to comment on the situation regarding assistance to the occupiers with construction in Mariupol, citing the order.
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Two German companies, Knauf and WKB Systems, are supplying Russians with construction materials to rebuild occupied Mariupol. The publication says that in searching for evidence of German companies' participation in the restoration of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was destroyed during the war and occupied by the Russian armed forces and declared Russian, journalists relied on the websites of construction companies, business documentation, photos and videos.
In particular, many construction sites in Mariupol use cement made by Knauf, they noted.
In addition, in photos and videos of construction sites in Mariupol, ARD journalists noticed concrete blocks in green packaging film bearing the name of the German company WKB Systems from the Munsterland region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Among other things, this company equips concrete block production plants.
The company's main shareholder is Russian businessman Viktor Budarin. "Customs data available to the Monitor show that WKB Systems GmbH has for a number of years supplied entire plants for factories producing such aerated concrete blocks to one of Budarin's Russian companies - apparently the same company whose products Russia is using to consolidate its power in Mariupol," the investigation says.
UNN also noticed that WKB Systems was a participant in the international exhibition REBUILD UKRAINE POWERED BY ENERGY 2023, which took place in Warsaw. A similar exhibition is scheduled for November this year.