Spanish firm caught supplying Russia? 110-ton war machine sparks sanctions violation fears

A big 110-ton forging machine was sent to Russia, and now people are worried it might break international sanctions. The company involved is Forward Technical Trade SL, which is based in Albacete, Spain.

This Spanish company sold the machine to AZK Group, a Russian firm, for $1.3 million. The machine was made back in 1983 by GFM, an Austrian manufacturing company. The machine is a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) forging machine — it’s used to make large artillery barrels, as per the report by Militarnyi.

How the Machine Reached Russia

The sale was handled through a Hong Kong company named Scorpion’s Holding Group Limited. The machine shipment was officially cleared by Russian customs at Nizhny Novgorod. There was a legal fight about what kind of machine it is — Russian customs said it was a radial forging machine, but AZK Group said it was for rotary forging, as stated by the reports.

Why This Machine Matters to Russia

Experts say these types of machines are super important for Russia to make artillery barrels, which need to be perfectly shaped for accuracy. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said GFM machines have been used for radial forging in Russia since the 1970s, as mentioned in the report by Defence Blog.

Russia has been using SXP-5 rotary forging machines in Perm since 1975 — they got 26 of them during the Soviet Union days. Russia tried to make their own similar machines, but never succeeded in building good ones, as per the reports.

This Spanish machine delivery happened while Russia is struggling to keep up with the huge demand for artillery in the war against Ukraine. Russian gun barrels are wearing out fast because of how much they’re being used, so they need to replace and produce more quickly, according to the Defence Blog.

FAQs

Q1. Did a Spanish company sell military equipment to Russia?
Yes, a Spanish firm reportedly sold a 110-ton forging machine to a Russian company, raising sanctions concerns.

Q2. Why is the 110-ton forging machine important to Russia?
The machine helps make large artillery barrels, which Russia needs badly for its war in Ukraine.