Russia doubles purchases of explosives - mass media

Russia has increased imports of nitrocellulose, which the aggressor country uses to produce artillery ammunition. It is being imported from the United States, Germany and Taiwan. Companies from Turkey, China and other countries are helping Russia to circumvent sanctions. About it writes The Wall Street Journal.

The publication notes that in 2022 imports of nitrocellulose to Russia, which is an important component in the production of gunpowder and rocket fuel, increased by 70%. In mid-2023, shipments totalled 3,039 tonnes of the product.

Production of nitrocellulose exists only in a few countries due to international trade restrictions. However, it continues to be imported into the Russian Federation. In particular, China has increased its supplies to Russia. Also, some companies in the United States, Germany and Taiwan continue to supply explosives to Russia," the WSJ reports.

As the publication points out, Russian importer Analytical Marketing Chemical Group, which is a regular supplier to the Kazan State Powder Plant, which specialises in the production of a variety of weapons, has received $700,000 worth of nitrocellulose from Taiwan over the past two years.

In addition, Turkey provided less than 1 per cent of Russia's nitrocellulose imports to Ukraine by the start of the war. And according to Russian customs data, by the middle of last year the Turkish company Noy Iç Ve Diş Ticaret provided nearly half of Russia's imports of explosives.

German units of New York-based International Flavors&Fragrances sold about 80 tonnes of nitrocellulose to Noy, which shipped the material to Russia last year. And Taiwan-based TNC Industrial produced more than 500 tonnes of the compound that Noy shipped to Russia last year. In addition, Hagedorn-NC, a company operating in the western lowlands of Germany, has produced the same amount of product over the past two years, which was also shipped to Russia," the WSJ points out.

It is noted that the companies continue to supply explosives to Russia at a time when other countries declare their shortage. In the opinion of the publication's analysts, the current situation affects the fact that NATO countries cannot provide Ukraine with the weapons promised to it.