Despite facing sanctions, Wagner, the private military company, managed to purchase tens of thousands of protective helmets from China at the end of 2022, the Financial Times reports.
These findings shed light on the ability of organizations associated with Wagner to bypass Western sanctions and freely engage in international trade. Broker Expert, a Russian company connected to Wagner, bought 20,000 polymer helmets from a small Chinese firm called Hangzhou Shinerain Import and Export Co. The Chinese company claimed that the helmets were intended for "game use," but their regular business activities primarily involved women's clothing, making the helmet purchase an unusual venture.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of Wagner, acquired these helmets for a little over $2mn. It was revealed that Prigozhin was recruiting tens of thousands of Russian prisoners to be deployed in Ukraine.
Although Hangzhou Shinerain denied knowledge of Prigozhin or the link between Broker Expert and Wagner, they refused to provide photos of the helmets to the Financial Times, emphasizing that they had not engaged in any illegal activities. These revelations highlight the challenges faced in preventing Wagner's activities despite international sanctions. The ability of Wagner-associated entities to freely import and export goods pose significant obstacles to curbing the activities of this private military company.
Comments (0)