Ten EU countries have sold 346 million euros worth of military equipment to the Kremlin

Russia has continued to buy weapons from the European Union, at least until 2020, in violation of the 2014 embargo. Seka.P.G.

Ukraine was occupied by RussiaPhoto: Ukrainian Ministry of Defense

These countries include Bulgaria, as well as France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Slovakia and Spain, which more or less sell military equipment to Russia.

Bulgaria had two transactions in 2016 and 2018 for the export of military vessels (surface or underwater), special equipment for the Navy, parts, components and other surface vessels, as well as “development”, “production” or “technologies”. Use of “Restricted Goods” on the EU General Weapons List, EUR 16.5 million.

Despite the decision of the EU Council in 2014, the arms trade between the EU and Russia continues. Many member states that export arms to Russia use the legal loophole in the regulations.

According to the EU Council’s Working Group on Traditional Arms Exports, “the arms embargo contains exceptions to agreements concluded before August 1, 2014, or to sub-agreements required to execute such agreements.”

Stats in the database used by Investigate Europe fall into this exception. That is why the working group concludes that “member states have not disarmed Russia.”

France is a leader in arms exports to Russia. The country has sold 152 million euros worth of military equipment to the Kremlin, accounting for 44% of European weapons for Russia. Since 2015, France has authorized the export of bombs, missiles, torpedoes and ammunition.

In 2014, French authorities authorized the shipment of “chemical agents”, “biological agents”, “riot control agents”, “radioactive materials, equipment, components and related materials” to Russia.

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Germany is the second largest exporter. The country exported 121.8 million euros worth of military equipment to Russia. It accounts for 35% of EU arms exports to Russia. Exports include mainly ice packs, guns and “special security” vehicles.

Italy is the third largest exporter of military equipment worth 22 22.5 million to Russia between 2015 and 2020.

The first major agreement signed with Russia in 2015, the Mateo Renzi government authorized the Italian company Iveco to sell land vehicles worth 25 million euros to Russia.

Lines military vehicles were spotted in the Ukrainian front line in early March by a journalist from the “La 7” television station. The vehicles were assembled with Italian parts at one of Iveco’s three factories in Russia.

The Czech Republic exports to Russia every year between 2015 and 2019 “aircraft, light aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft engines and aircraft equipment.”

Austria exported “soft-bore weapons with a caliber of less than 20 mm”, other weapons and automatic weapons with a capacity of 12.7 mm and “ammunition controllers and specially designed components”.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, there is an even more bizarre fact: the EU sells arms to Russia after annexing Crimea. The Kremlin is the second largest arms export market in Ukraine, Radar said.

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