Despite the sanctions, the Russians are finding ways to equip themselves with Western equipment, notably via Turkey.
In April 2023, the small French spare parts company Attax received an order from the Turkish company Enütek Makina for aircraft seat attachment systems. The deal appears to be in order, and the order is shipped to Turkey. However, the components are then shipped back to Russia in July 2023, according to customs data. The final recipient is Aerospace Systems Design Bureau, a subsidiary of Promtech, which has been under European sanctions since December 2022 for its links with the Russian military industry. Franck Martin, head of Attax, claims to have ceased all collaboration with Promtech from the start of the war in Ukraine, and says he is surprised by this revelation.
The investigation, carried out with the German media NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, as well as the Ukrainian NGO Statewatch, reveals that Enütek Makina exported over 7 million euros worth of equipment to Russia in 2023, mainly destined for Promtech. Some of this equipment would have violated European and American sanctions, and benefited the Russian army. Promtech, a group operating in the civil and military sectors, has long imported European components without difficulty. Sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine complicated these supplies, but Promtech was able to circumvent the obstacles by using intermediaries such as Enütek Makina.
The goods exported by Enütek Makina, manufactured mainly in Europe, include critical components for the Russian army, such as electrical connectors found in tanks and drones. Around 10% of the goods exported are “high-priority” products, requiring increased vigilance. Promtech has had to adapt its organization to maintain supplies, relying on entities such as Industrial Technologies Group France (ITGF). After the start of the conflict, ITGF transferred its shares to a Hong Kong entity and created Enütek Makina in December 2022 to continue its activities.
Turkey has become a major bypass route for international sanctions. In November 2023, the European Commission and the European Council denounced the use of Turkish territory to transport sanctioned goods to Russia. This investigation highlights the sophisticated methods used by Russian companies to procure European equipment despite the sanctions, and underlines the need for increased vigilance to prevent such schemes.
