First Poland announced it has stopped sending weapons to Ukraine pending resolution of a dispute over imports of Ukrainian grain (which Polish farmers complain are driving down prices), and now this: today, a shipment from a German precision machine tools manufacturer is due to be delivered to Russia, where it’s expected to be used by the “Rostec” corporation, which makes 152-mm artillery shells for self-propelled artillery used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. Spinner Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik GmbH has had an office in Moscow since 2011 and continues to cooperate with four Russian arms makers including factories producing components for tanks and fighter jets. In the course of the 18 months since Russia invaded, Spinner has increased deliveries to Russia six times, according to Ukraine’s national anti-corruption agency. This year, the agency says Spinner has started routing its goods to the Russian military-industrial complex via Turkey, UAE, China and Kyrgyzstan.
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