Reuters reported on Monday that the factories of Russian oligarchs were delivering substances for producing explosives and Western currencies.
Reuter conducted a meticulous analysis 600 thousand rail transports and financial data. It proves that several chemical plants supplies materials to four explosives producers.
Russia: The companies of Abramovich and the president of Lukoil are involved in the procedure
The owners of two such chemical companies are subject to Western sanctions Roman Abramowiczformer owner of the British football club Chelsea FC, and Wagit Alekperowpresident of an oil company Łukoilwhose fortune is valued by Forbes magazine at 28.6 billion dollars. Abramowicz has 28 percent. shares in Evraz, a steel company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Experts interviewed by Reuters emphasize that, in addition to important components, chemical plants also produce fertilizersthey deliver too Russia very necessary dewizy.
This analysis, combined with expert assessment, shows how much the Russian war machine must rely on oligarchs and their companies, and at the same time how far Western sanctions have failed to limit weapons production – emphasizes the Reuters Agency.
Russia takes advantage of the loophole excluding food production from sanctions
While the restrictions covered oligarchs, they cannot be imposed on companies producing artificial fertilizers, in accordance with the long-standing principle that sanctions policy companies influencing food production are excluded.
Manish Raizada, a professor at the University of Guelph in Canada, warned in an interview with the agency that trying to change this tradition would result in a threat to hundreds of millions of small farms in the world, with little impact on Russia's war economy.
The US Ministry of Finance did not respond to the agency's request for comment. Spokesman European Commission and reported that “possibilities are being explored implement additional measures (…) and close loopholes in the sanctions regime.
Meanwhile, numerous Ukrainian commanders have said in interviews with Reuters that the war with Russia has become “artillery duel“, in which the availability of powerful explosives is of enormous importance and with insufficient supplies of Western weapons to Kiev, it gives Russia a significant advantage.