Japan exposes scheme to supply Tsugami machine tools to Russian military-industrial complex via Chinese companies

Japanese authorities have investigated the supply of high-precision equipment to the Russian defense industry and found large-scale violations of sanctions. About reported presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk.

According to Vlasyuk, the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Japan (METI) confirmed that more than 300 Tsugami machines disappeared after being sold to seven Chinese companies. Some of them – about 30 machines – have already been found in Russia.

Japan ordered Tsugami to terminate contracts with the intermediaries involved. The company will stop supporting the machines already sold in Russia, and will also terminate cooperation with other suspicious Chinese partners.

Another investigation concerned Ferrotec, a company that supplies chemicals and tools. Its CEO is a Chinese citizen.

The investigation confirmed that Ferrotec products were supplied to Russian defense companies, including Epiel, Mikron, Vimpel, and others. In April, some of these contracts were terminated, and the supply was placed under constant monitoring.

Earlier, Russian media published an article stating that Japan's Tsugami owes Russia's invasion of Ukraine excessive profits from sales, as the volume of its equipment supplies to Russia has increased more than 20 times since February 2022.

• On April 17, President Zelensky said that Ukraine had received information about china's supply of weapons to Russiaincluding gunpowder and artillery.
• April 18 at the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied the charges Zelensky and called the statement "groundless."
• On May 25, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko, said that the People's Republic of China supplies machine tools, specialty chemicals, gunpowder and components to 20 Russian military plants.