Key facts
- EU-made industrial equipment is being supplied to Russian defense plants despite European export restrictions.
- A Turkish company, Redwing Metal, co-owned by a Dutch national, facilitated the shipments.
- The equipment is used to produce metal alloys essential for manufacturing missiles and fighter jets.
- The recipient Russian plants are controlled by Nikolay Timokhin, son-in-law of Rostec's deputy head Igor Zavyalov.
- These plants supply defense manufacturers, including those within Russia's state-owned defense conglomerate, Rostec.
Despite European Union export restrictions designed to curb Russia's military capabilities, EU-made industrial equipment is continuing to reach Russian defense plants. Customs records reveal that a Turkish company, Redwing Metal, co-owned by Dutch national Alexander Tattersall, has shipped approximately $5 million worth of machinery to two Russian metallurgical plants, Aluminum Metallurg Rus (AMR) and Stupino Metallurgical Company (SMK), in 2023 and 2024.
These plants are controlled by Nikolay Timokhin, the son-in-law of Igor Zavyalov, who has served as the long-time deputy head of Rostec, Russia's state-owned defense conglomerate. AMR and SMK produce metal alloys using the imported Western machinery, which are then supplied to Russian defense companies, including those affiliated with Rostec. These alloys are critical components for manufacturing missiles and fighter jets used in Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
The equipment includes specialized machinery such as CNC lathes, a metal heat-treatment furnace, and hydraulic presses, manufactured by companies in Italy, Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic. Experts note that this equipment represents core capabilities for a modern metallurgical production line and can directly support Russia's defense-industrial base. Ukraine's military intelligence indicates that AMR produces parts for Su-34 fighter-bombers and Kh-101 cruise missiles, the latter of which have been used to strike civilian targets in Ukraine.
Redwing Metal was established in Turkey shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Alexander Tattersall, who co-owns the company, has past connections to the Russian metallurgical sector, having been photographed at the AMR plant in 2019. The circumvention of EU sanctions highlights how Russia continues to acquire Western technology through third-country intermediaries, extending beyond microchips to essential industrial machinery.