Siemens is investigating whether a russian military factory purchased its equipment

German technology company Siemens AG is investigating reports in the media about possible purchases of its equipment by a russian explosives manufacturer. If this information is confirmed, the company will inform the competent authorities, Siemens said on 11 August in response to a request from DW.

The company emphasised that it ‘will not tolerate any circumvention of sanctions under any circumstances’ and has repeatedly reported similar incidents detected by its internal control systems to the authorities since the start of russia's war against Ukraine.

A Siemens representative said that the company had already taken ‘all possible measures to combat parallel imports’. ‘Unfortunately, it is not always possible to rule out the possibility of some goods reaching russia without the manufacturer's knowledge. Siemens is constantly monitoring developments in this area,’ he added.

On 7 August, the international news agency Reuters reported that Siemens equipment had been purchased through third countries by the Biysk Oleum Plant (BOZ), which manufactures explosives for the russian army. According to the agency, the contract was signed in October 2022, and the imports were carried out through Chinese wholesalers and a russian intermediary, Techpribor.

At the same time, public procurement data show that in 2022-2023, the Y. M. Sverdlov Plant, which includes BOZ, purchased at least three sets of Siemens equipment under the Simatic brand. According to Reuters, the purchased equipment will allow russia to increase its military production.

Source: DW