Companies from Germany are participating in the restoration of occupied Mariupol

At least two German companies are involved in the reconstruction of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was captured by Russia shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. This was reported by ARD's Monitor television magazine, citing the companies' annual reports, as well as photographs and videos.

Thus, the logos of two German companies - Knauf and WKB Systems - can be seen on construction equipment, house windows, packaging of concrete blocks and bags of building materials at construction sites in Mariupol.

In addition, one of the official Knauf dealers publicly reported on the construction project of a residential building in Mariupol on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense, writes ARD. In photographs from this construction site, journalists found bags with Knauf logos.

As ARD notes, the owner of this company, German businessman Nicholas Knauf, was the honorary consul of Russia for more than 20 years and met with Vladimir Putin. In Russia, Knauf has a subsidiary company that employs more than four thousand employees. After the start of a full-scale war, Knauf stated that it had no plans to leave the country.

The second German company that journalists caught participating in the restoration of Mariupol is WKB Systems. It develops equipment for cellular concrete and sand-lime brick factories. Its main shareholder, according to journalists, is Russian businessman Viktor Budarin. His name was not on the European or American sanctions lists.

Knauf did not answer questions from journalists, but stated that the company condemns “Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine” and follows all EU sanctions, and in Russia produces products “exclusively for the Russian market.”

According to experts interviewed by ARD, even if the sale of building materials for construction projects in Mariupol is not subject to EU sanctions, companies still do not have the right to benefit from a war that violates international law.

Ukrainian Mariupol was besieged and then captured by Russian forces in the first months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, as a result, more than 90% of residential buildings in the central part of the city were destroyed, and from March 2022 to February 2023, at least eight thousand residents died in Mariupol.

To receive the main news faster, subscribe to our telegram and Twitter .