American-made waterjet machines essential for armor production are being imported into Russia via Turkey, Hong Kong, and the UAE

RU

Waterjet machines used in the production of military equipment continue to be delivered to Russia despite both the machines themselves and their spare parts being under a U.S. embargo. As The Insider has discovered, these sanctioned American-made machines are being imported to Russia through Turkey, Hong Kong, China, the UAE, and the Maldives.

Customs data reviewed by The Insider showed that a waterjet machine manufactured by the Omax Corporation arrived in Russia this year — along with numerous spare parts for similar equipment already present in the country. These parts include pumps, valves, and cables produced by the aforementioned Omax, Koch Industries subsidiary Molex, Missouri-based WSI Waterjet, Kansas-based KMT Waterjet, Hypertherm subsidiary Accustream, and Washington-based H2O Jet.

The machine was imported by the Russian firm Energy Industries LLC (ООО «Энерджи Индастриз») — a company with only three employees and fixed assets totaling just 18,000 rubles ($165) on its balance sheet. This suggests that the firm likely operates exclusively as a trading intermediary without any production capabilities. Until 2019, Energy Industries was a regular supplier to FGUP Electrochemical Plant (ФГУП «Комбинат Электрохимприбор») — which, in turn, was one of its main state-owned customers.

The Omax machine was delivered by Yinuo Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., described in customs records as a Chinese company. However, the firm is registered in Hong Kong, with its director and shareholder, Huo Liang, being a Chinese national. The Insider was unable to locate an official website for the company. Throughout 2023, Yinuo has actively supplied the Russian market with both Chinese and Western equipment — including goods subject to embargoes imposed by Ukraine’s allies in the West.

Other violators of U.S. sanctions have also supplied spare parts for waterjet machines, delivering them from China, Hong Kong, Turkey, the Maldives, and the UAE. For example, the Emirati company Gartech FZE supplied U.S.-manufactured parts for waterjet machines to R-Garnet JSC (ЗАО «Р-Гарнет»), a Russian retailer in the abrasive materials market.

The Turkish company Zarif Group Dis Ticaret A.S. imported American parts for Czech waterjet machines manufactured by PTV JETS in collaboration with its Russian partner, Twim JSC (АО «Твим»), which is based in Yekaterinburg. According to customs declarations, the goods were imported by “an authorized representative of the waterjet cutting machine manufacturer.” Twim JSC's website continues to display contact details for the Czech supplier of PTV machines, while PTV's website identifies Twim JSC as its official representative in Russia.

Twim JSC is part of a group of companies specializing in waterjet cutting, providing equipment and spare parts for material processing. Its most recent known state customer was Eleron JSC (АО «ФЦНИВТ «СНПО «ЭЛЕРОН») — a subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom State Corporation specializing in security systems for government facilities.

The Chinese company Huizhou Speed Waterjet Technology Co., Ltd. — which lacks an official website — sold U.S.-made AccuStream spare parts to the Chelyabinsk-based Center for Waterjet Technology Development LLC (ООО «Центр развития гидроабразивных технологий»). This company’s latest state clients include the Order of Lenin N.A. Dollezhal Research and Design Institute of Power Engineering JSC (АО «Ордена Ленина научно-исследовательский и конструкторский институт энерготехники имени Н.А. Доллежаля»).

The Insider reached out to Gartech FZE, Zarif Group Dis Ticaret A.S., and PTV for comment. None of the companies were able to provide substantive responses.