Last year, on two separate occasions, railcars loaded with tens of thousands of kilograms of smokeless powder—enough propellant to produce at least 80 million total rounds of ammunition—went to the remote Chinese and Russian ports of Zabaikalsk. It roared across the border.
The powder was being shipped by Poly Technologies, a Chinese state-owned company commissioned by the United States. Before imposed sanctions For global sales of missile technology and support for Iran. The destination was the Barnaul Ammunition Factory, an ammunition factory in central Russia with a history of supplying the Russian government.
These previously unreported shipments were identified by: import geniusA US-based trade data aggregator has raised new questions about China’s role in helping Russia fight for occupation of Ukrainian territory. U.S. officials have expressed concern that China could provide Russia with products useful in the war effort, so-called “lethal aid,” although China is not making such shipments. not stated.
US Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken, speaking from Beijing on Monday, assured the US that China was not providing lethal assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine, saying that the US government had said, “What is this? I haven’t seen it,” he said. contrary to that. ”
“But what we are concerned about is that Chinese private companies may be providing support,” said Brinken.
Some experts said shipments made by Poly Technologies to the Barnaul cartridge factory since the invasion amounted to nearly $2 million, according to customs records, representing such lethal assistance. According to customs records, Poly Technology intended the shipment to be used in the type of ammunition fired by Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles and sniper rifles.
William George, head of research at Import Genius, said Poly Technologies “may be trying to figure out what exactly is deadly aid to Russia,” but the implications of the shipment are clear. said.
“When transporting large quantities of gunpowder intended for the manufacture of military cartridges to a country at war, it is absurd to imagine that the finished product will not be used to have deadly effect on the battlefield,” George said. Stated.
“This is deadly aid,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center. “The question is how impactful and large-scale it is.”
Mr. Gabuev said China has generally refrained from crossing the red line that Washington detailed as violating Western sanctions in the event of war in a “visible and forceful way.” However, Poly Technologies has a history of shipping to its Barnaul plant before the war, so China may see these shipments as part of its normal trade flow.
“By and large, China is trying to keep a red line,” he said. “That said, we do see some deals and deals going on.”
Poly Technologies is a subsidiary of the Chinese government-owned China Poly Group Corporation.previous report wall street journal and CNN Documented the shipment of navigation equipment and helicopter parts from Poly Technologies to a Russian state-owned company.
The Barnaul Cartridge Factory, to which the powder is shipped, is on private property. But Russian procurement records provided to The New York Times by C4ADS, a global security nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., show that over the past decade, the company has been involved in several Russian government and military departments, including the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is shown that he had a number of contracts with
The Barnaul Cartridge Plant Added to company list Licensed by the European Union in December. open source information It has been suggested that the factory may have functioned as a training camp linked to the Wagner Group, a Russian private military organization with ties to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
There is no known direct link between these particular shipments of smokeless powder and the Ukrainian battlefield, and Poly Technologies, in its customs documents, referred to the powder as “for the assembly of foreign-style hunting cartridges. ”.
But Brian Carlson, an expert on China and Russia and head of the global security team at the Center for Security Studies think tank, said such cartridges could be used for hunting, but this said to be rare. “This is military ammunition,” he said.
Most modern firearms and other weapons used by soldiers and civilians alike rely on smokeless powder to fire bullets at their targets. When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin strikes the rear of the ammunition cartridge, igniting the gunpowder. This causes the gunpowder to burn very quickly, pushing the bullet into the barrel.
This type of gunpowder is also used by the military as a propellant for mortar rounds, firing explosive-laden projectiles weighing between 4 and 30 pounds or more.
Poly Technologies and Barnaul Cartridge Plant did not respond to requests for comment.
The war in Ukraine is now in its 17th month and has intensified in recent weeks. The availability of ammunition and equipment for both sides has become an important factor that can affect the outcome of a war.
After the invasion, the West sought to strangle trade with Russia, feed its economy, and starve Russia not only in goods that helped government revenue, but also in munitions.
But countries like China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey stepped in to provide Russia with goods ranging from mundane products like smartphones and cars to aircraft parts and ammunition.
Both state-owned and private companies in China are hunting rifle, navigation device and airplane parts.
China remains officially non-aligned in the war. Chinese officials say Beijing is a neutral party and a peacemaker. But in reality, China has become an important diplomatic, economic and security partner for Russia since declaring an “unrestricted” partnership early last year.
of Lecture in April Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said in Washington that the partnership was a “worrying sign” that China was not serious about ending the war. He warned that the consequences “would be dire” if China provided material assistance to Russia or helped it evade sanctions.
In recent months, U.S. officials have also been in direct informal contact with Chinese financial institutions to discuss the risks of evading or facilitating circumvention of sanctions and export controls.
Chinese companies “have a choice,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adiemo said in an interview. fox business tv Early this month. “They can provide Russia with military support and continue to do business with a shrinking economy, perhaps worth $1.5 trillion, or they can continue to do business with the rest of the world.”
Poly Technologies is one of China’s largest arms exporters. The company manufactures equipment for law enforcement and the military, including weapons, personal protective equipment, explosives and missile systems. Over the past decades, it has been accused of shipping small arms to Zimbabwe. It has shipped weapons to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nigeria in the past few years, according to records accessed through Sayarigraph, a mapping tool that shows corporate ownership and commercial ties.
Barnaul products have become a common sight on American shelves in recent years, including military rifles, hunting rifles, and American handgun ammunition. The goods arrived in the United States through several importers, including MKS Supply, LLC, an ammunition wholesaler in Dayton, Ohio.
MKS Supply officials said the company stopped working with the Barnaul cartridge factory early last year after the U.S. government banned imports of Russian ammunition.
Edward Wong Contributed to reports from Beijing.
