Russia ramping up production of deadly missiles with help of European firms: Report

Russia appears to have bypassed Western sanctions and is ramping up the production of Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles with the help of European firms, a report by The Times said on Thursday (Oct 26), citing independent investigators. Rostec, which is the state-owned Russian defence conglomerate, claimed that it ramped up the production of ammunition by 50-fold since the war in Ukraine began, despite Western sanctions, the report said.

Rostec added that it drastically increased the production rate of Dagger missiles. The Times report said KBM is the company that produces Daggers and other precision weapons for Rostec. KBM is headed by Sergei Pitikov whose family has been living in Sweden in a property that is suspected to have been purchased with profits made by the company.

Swedish public registers showed that over the last two years, Pitikov's daughter Maya bought a $528,265 (€500,000) house near Malmo and a Tesla, while she and her partner declared a combined pre-tax income of less than $84,517 (€80,000) a year.

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Citing a Russian media outlet, The Times report said that both Rostec and KBM have been sanctioned by the United States and Britain. However, procurement and shipping documents showed that their Russian subcontractors continued to buy tools, machinery etc. from European as well as American firms.

It has been alleged that Osctec, a company based in Moscow, supplied KBM with thermal and cooling chambers. These chambers were shipped by Intertrans SP. ZO.O from Poland, The Times report said.

KEB, a company in Germany, allegedly supplied cables and turning machines to KBM through its Russian partner KEB-Rus. Another Russian contractor of Sergei Pitikov's company, Sonatec, is said to be a supplier of precision machine tools that can be used in the production of missile components. One of the suppliers of Sonatec includes Aberlink, a British company.

Speaking to the publication, Aberlink said it ceased trading with Sonatec in 2021 and that its products could be used for civilian as well as military use.

"For commercial and moral reasons no servicing or parts have been supplied over the past two years," Marcus Eales, Aberlink’s owner and director, said.

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