The Chinese state-owned company Poly Technologies, which was sanctioned by the US for spreading missile technology and providing support to Iran, shipped large shipments of smokeless powder to Russia at least twice in 2022. According to The New York Times, the Barnaul Cartridge Plant in Russia received gunpowder from China, which is enough to produce at least 80 million rounds of ammunition.
These are previously unreported shipments that were discovered by US trade data aggregator Import Genius. The plant produces cartridges for Kalashnikov assault rifles and sniper rifles, and supplies were made after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The newspaper notes that it does not have direct evidence of the use of Chinese gunpowder for the production of live ammunition, but experts interviewed believe that this assumption is the most natural in the current situation.
The New York Times notes that these data "raise again the question of China's role in supporting Russia, which is waging a war of conquest in Ukraine."
As US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said during a recent visit to Beijing, China has assured the United States that it is not providing lethal aid to Russia for use in Ukraine. Blinken noted that the US government "does not see direct evidence that contradicts this," but it is concerned that "private Chinese companies may be providing assistance to Russia."
The Barnaul Cartridge Plant is included in the EU sanctions list. In addition to the production of ammunition, the plant, according to open sources, could serve as a training base for Wagner PMC mercenaries.