At least 12 Czech companies supplied Russia with machine tools for weapons production last year - Insider
Kyiv • UNN
Investigators have identified 12 Czech companies that supplied Russia with machine tools for weapons production worth millions of dollars in 2023-2024, mostly through circumvention routes. This came after Zelenskyy's statement about the participation of Czech firms in the Russian military-industrial complex.
The Insider has identified 12 manufacturers of equipment from the Czech Republic whose weapons production equipment was supplied to Russia last year. The investigation was initiated in response to statements by Ukrainian and Czech politicians. This is reported by UNN with reference to the publication's investigation.
Details
It is noted that on June 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is still receiving machine tools for the needs of its military-industrial complex from abroad. And among the exporters, in particular, are eight Czech firms. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in response that he did not know which companies were involved.
The Insider found 12 such manufacturers. The main part of the supply of metalworking equipment from the Czech Republic to Russia goes through bypass routes: through Estonia, Serbia, Turkey and Latvia. According to Russian customs, Czech machine tools worth $18 million were imported into Russia in 2023, and $12 million in 2024.
Three of the identified Czech supplier companies - Šmeral Brno, Varnsdorf and TAJMAC-ZPS - account for most of the exports, amounting to about $8 million.
Šmeral Brno calls its main specialization the production of machine tools and forming lines on a turnkey basis. On its website in the About Us section, Russia is still listed as one of the main export destinations.
In a number of cases, the buyer in Russia was a subsidiary of the Czech manufacturer, although the goods went through third countries - formally not from the Czech Republic, but from Serbia. Thus, the recipient of Pilous-Pásové Pily products - band saws for cutting metals - was Pilous LLC, registered in St. Petersburg. 70% of it belongs to a Czech company.
In addition, Insider identified five Czech companies that directly supplied metalworking equipment, which is in demand in the military-industrial complex and energy sector, in 2023-2024.
In 2023, at least four Czech companies were exporters of metalworking equipment to Russia: N.Ko, Prestar, Tachtech and Stroje Zeman Trade. Among the imported equipment were, for example, pipe cutters that can be used on gas wells. The cost of all equipment is approximately $500,000. As a rule, the equipment buyers were little-known firms, probably retailers or highly specialized resellers.
According to Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, Prague will "try to figure out what caused" Zelenskyy's statements about the participation of Czech companies in the export of equipment to Russia. The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Lukas Vlcek, also promised to investigate the possible participation of Czech business in the work of the Russian military-industrial complex. At the same time, Czech Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvorak has already admitted that Zelenskyy may have been right, and he "would not be surprised" by Czech companies circumventing sanctions.