Putin's War Machine Gets Help From Ukraine-Backing Source: Report

A new investigative report has revealed that Taiwan supplies 20 percent of nitrocellulose, a compound used for making gunpowder, to Russia.

In a revealing investigation, a Ukrainian report has underscored the route through which Russia has been able to import nitrocellulose, a vital component in the manufacture of smokeless gunpowder, despite international sanctions aimed at curbing its war efforts in Ukraine, Taiwan's media outlet Taipei Times reported on February 26.

"The report said that nitrocellulose produced in Taiwan makes its way to Russia by passing through other countries such as Turkey. Only one company, T.N.C. Industrial Co, was named in the report, which also named China and Germany as key sources of the compound for Russia," Taipei Times reported.

The study, conducted by Ukraine's Center for Defense Strategies, found that approximately 20 percent of Russia's nitrocellulose imports, crucial for its ammunition production, originated from Taiwan, Taipei Times reported.

The scrutiny of Taiwan's role in the Russia-Ukraine war comes as another recent investigation has revealed that Taiwanese companies were supplying specialized machine tools to Russia, Newsweek had reported earlier.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought closer economic partnership with China and other countries in the Global South to sustain the war against Ukraine, which is now in its third year.

Taiwan has officially condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine and sought to assist Kyiv by supplying humanitarian aid.

In January, a joint investigation by Taiwan Reporter, an independent Taiwanese media outlet, and The Insider, an independent company specializing in Russian affairs, revealed that Taiwanese companies were supplying machine tools, some of which were being used by Russian state-owned military industrial enterprises and nuclear physics institutes, Newsweek had reported earlier.

Newsweek contacted Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and T.N.C. Industrial Co. for comment on the supply of nitrocellulose. Newsweek also contacted Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

The investigative report sheds light on the complex global trade networks that have allowed Russia to circumvent the United States and European Union's embargo on nitrocellulose exports to the country, due to its ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

The EU and several countries had imposed stringent sanctions on Russia, aiming to cut off supplies critical to its military operations. Before these embargoes, EU nations like Italy and the Netherlands were among Russia's top suppliers of nitrocellulose.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Newsweek in January that Taipei had announced a stricter review of exports to Russia to stem the flow of machine tools to the Kremlin.

"Taiwan has cooperated with the resolutions of the international community from the beginning and announced that it will join economic sanctions against Russia. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has also successively announced a stricter review of exports of Russian products and expanded export controls to Russia," Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier told Newsweek in a statement on January 30.

"During the two-year period from 2019 to 2021, only about US$127,000 of Taiwan-made nitrocellulose was obtained by Russia. In 2022, the amount nearly doubled to about US$220,000, and then soared last year," Taipei Times reported.

The report further details how the nitrocellulose reached Russia, primarily through third countries such as Turkey, with 80 percent of the Taiwan-made compound passing through Turkish company Noy Ic Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd Sti between March 1, 2022, and December 31 of the same year, Taipei Times reported. This method of transshipment has been a critical factor in Russia's ability to maintain its ammunition supplies.

Despite the increase in imports from Taiwan and China, the latter seeing a significant jump to US$160 million worth of nitrocellulose supplied to Russia, the report underscores the challenges faced by the Russian military-industrial complex, Taipei Times reported.

"Although Russian officials have set a goal of producing 2 million rounds of artillery shells per year, this quantity would likely not meet the needs of the front line, and rapidly increasing domestic production capacity in the short term would be difficult, the report said," Taipei Times reported.

Update 27/2/24, 7:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify the author of the report.