Trade records reveal that more than $5 million worth of European metalworking equipment was shipped to two major Russian defense factories during 2023 and 2024, despite comprehensive European Union sanctions.
A Turkey-registered company, Redwing Metal Uluslararasi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, exported specialized industrial machinery to Aluminum Metallurg Rus and Stupino Metallurgical Company, both of which produce metal alloys essential for military aircraft and cruise missiles. Documents obtained by investigative partners in Ukraine and Italy detail these transactions.
These factories supply materials for weapons including the Kh-101 missile, which Ukrainian officials say struck a residential building in Kyiv, killing two dozen civilians.
The case highlights a gap in export controls, where goods can pass through intermediary nations that have not adopted sanctions. While the EU prohibits both direct and indirect sales to Russia, manufacturers often cannot track their products once sold to companies in third countries.
Among the items shipped were Italian-made CNC lathes, metal heat-treatment furnaces, hydraulic presses, and conveyor systems. Experts reviewing the equipment list described it as forming the core of a modern metallurgical production line capable of supporting Russia’s defense industry.
Redwing Metal was founded in Turkey shortly after the invasion began in 2022. Corporate records show it is co-owned by Alexander Tattersall, a Dutch national living in Switzerland, who holds a 40 percent stake. The remaining shares belong to a Turkish lawyer.
Tattersall acknowledged his role as a part-time consultant but denied knowledge of any sanctions violations, stating the company had never shipped banned goods to Russia. The Turkish co-owner questioned the validity of the trade data.
The Russian plants receiving the equipment are owned by an individual connected to a senior Rostec official through family ties. Tax records and court documents indicate these factories have supplied components to more than 40 Russian defense contractors since 2022, including manufacturers of tanks, artillery, and missiles.
Legal experts warn that EU nationals who knowingly facilitate sanctions evasion through third-country intermediaries could face criminal prosecution and financial penalties in their home member states.
Customs records also show Redwing Metal shipped over $1 million worth of European shipbuilding equipment to a Russian supplier linked to naval vessel construction. One ship, completed in mid-2025, received components including anchors, mooring winches, and ventilation systems.
Manufacturers of the equipment stated they had prohibited re-exports to sanctioned entities in their sales agreements but could not control where their products ended up after reaching intermediaries.