A Russian state-owned explosives manufacturer, Biysk Oleum Factory (BOZ), circumvented Western sanctions by purchasing equipment made by Germany's Siemens from the Russian intermediary company Techpribor, which procures industrial equipment from Chinese wholesalers and resellers, Reuters reported.

According to customs data and state procurement records, in October 2022, BOZ signed a contract with Techpribor for the supply of Siemens equipment. A few days before the end of the 140-day delivery period, Techpribor received a shipment from China via a company called Huizhou Funn Tek, located in Guangdong Province.

Between 2022 and 2023, Techpribor imported Siemens equipment from China multiple times, particularly from Huizhou Funn Tek and New Source Automation in Xiamen.

Siemens’ press service stated that the company strictly complies with international sanctions and requires the same from its clients, but some products may reach Russia without its knowledge.

A representative of Huizhou Funn Tek said the company was able to buy directly from Siemens. "They don’t ask who the end user is," she said.

BOZ's parent company, Federal State Enterprise Ya. M. Sverdlov Plant, is already subject to U.S. and EU sanctions for assisting Russia's war effort.

Source: https://reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/despite-western-sanctions-russian-bomb-factory-bought-siemens-tech-via-middleman-2025-08-07/
https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1954822546773180710