The Russian military’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine has severely impacted their vehicle reserves, resulting in an increased reliance on civilian trucks for personnel and equipment transportation since the full-scale invasion three years ago. This situation was further exacerbated by U.S. and EU sanctions introduced shortly after the invasion in February 2022, aimed at restricting the supply of Western auto parts necessary for sustaining Russia’s military operations.
Despite these sanctions, a top Norwegian automotive supplier, Kongsberg Automotive, has indirectly supplied millions of dollars worth of truck parts to Russia’s military operations, circumventing EU sanctions through a Turkish intermediary. This revelation was made by Schemes, the investigative division of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, and Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
Kongsberg Automotive, a significant supplier for renowned car brands like Volvo, Ford, Scania, and Jaguar Land Rover, maintains that it ceased all direct exports to Russia in 2022, labelling sales to an “aggressor” state as “immoral and reprehensible”.
However, leaked Russian customs data reveals that a Turkish customer of the Norwegian company, Hidirusta Otomotiv, made at least 126 shipments of Kongsberg Automotive parts to Russia from July 2022 to April 2024. These shipments, not subject to Western sanctions since Turkey isn’t part of the coalition, totalled around $2.8 million.
Two Russian companies involved in truck repairs or transportation services, A.P.R. and Gruzavtozapchast-36, are known to have commercial ties to Russian defense firms and have been linked to these shipments.
Civilian vehicles have become increasingly crucial to Russia’s war efforts due to the depletion of military vehicles, according to Aage Borchgrevink, a senior adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights. He also highlighted that such vehicles are not only used for transportation but also for launching attack drones.
Kongsberg Automotive, in response to these findings, stated that the resale of their parts to Russia is “unacceptable and contrary to our values”. The company has since severed ties with Hidirusta Otomotiv and has mandated all its customers to comply with sanctions.
However, if authorities determine that Kongsberg Automotive failed to execute proper due diligence, the company could face potential consequences, including criminal punishment. Legal experts also point out that Turkey is widely known as a sanctions loophole, implying that companies exporting goods there should exercise increased scrutiny over potential resales to Russia.
This case raises questions about the effectiveness of the EU’s sanctions policy, casting a shadow over the entire sanctions strategy, according to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian President’s sanctions policy commissioner.
