EU sanctions have effectively halted key segments of the Russian military machine, and even Chinese components failed to fill the gap, according to newly revealed court documents.
SanctionsLists, citing records from the Moscow Arbitration Court, exposed Russia’s dependence on sanctioned European components for military equipment. The Russian Ministry of Defense filed a 355 million ruble penalty lawsuit against JSC Techpromimport for failing to deliver equipment under a May 28, 2020 contract.
The contract required Techpromimport to supply KAMAZ-63501-0001348 chassis for military use, equipped with temporary road operational deployment kits — technology essential for moving wheeled and tracked vehicles, including tanks, through swampy terrain.
Techpromimport had subcontracted Remdiesel JSC, which purchased the chassis from manufacturer KAMAZ PJSC. However, the supply chain collapsed due to foreign component restrictions.
Since 2018, KAMAZ chassis relied on gearboxes from Germany’s ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Following the EU Council Resolution of February 25, 2022, and the start of Russia’s Special Military Operation, ZF imposed an embargo on all deliveries to the Russian Federation.
Additionally, the military-spec vehicles required hydraulic motors from POCLAIN HYDRAULICS D.O.O. (Czech Republic/France), whose supplies were also cut off by EU sanctions.
Techpromimport attempted to replace Czech motors with Chinese alternatives from NINGBO ZHONGYI HYDRAULIC MOTOR CO., but during commissioning, it was discovered that the Chinese hydraulic motors did not meet the required specifications.
The court ultimately dismissed the Ministry of Defense’s claim, ruling that Techpromimport had acted in good faith, fulfilled all legal obligations, notified the customer of force majeure circumstances, and provided documented evidence from an authorized body.
