Sanctioned South Korean Equipment Worth $3.7M Appears at Moscow Arms Expo

Between 2024 and 2025, Russia received more than $3.7 million worth of high-precision manufacturing equipment originating from South Korea. Among the dual-use goods—restricted under EU and US export controls—were cutting tools and computer-numerical-control (CNC) machines. The findings were reported by South Korea’s Korea JoongAng Daily, citing research by Ukraine’s Economic Security Council (ESCU).

According to the ESCU, products from at least three South Korean manufacturers of high-precision equipment were showcased at the annual “Metalloobrabotka-2025” exhibition in Moscow. This indicates a risk that these technologies may be used in Russia’s defense industry.

“The problem is not limited to covert shipments. We are concerned that products from South Korean brands—effectively banned from export to Russia since 2022—are now being openly advertised and promoted in Moscow,” said Olena Yurchenko, ESCU’s Director of Analysis and Investigations.

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The latest customs data analysis shows that the shipments reached Russia through complex transit chains involving China, Turkey, India, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, and Thailand. Preliminary estimates suggest that Russia may have received:

• threading, drilling, and milling tools produced by a South Korean company owned by Berkshire Hathaway (worth $2.19 million),

• cutting equipment and components supplied through intermediary companies (worth $1.31 million),

• horizontal lathes (worth $211,000) from a company listed on the Kosdaq exchange.

High-precision cutting tools are essential for machining hard alloys used in the production of artillery barrels, missile and drone casings. CNC machines enable the manufacture of metal components with micron-level accuracy, including engine housings, shafts, nozzles, and fasteners—critical parts for aerospace and missile production.

In May 2025, the ESCU found that DN Solutions machines had entered Russia through Chinese intermediaries, with some units installed at defense-sector enterprises.

Earlier, the organization discovered that between 2024 and 2025 Russia also imported more than $2.3 million worth of Italian equipment from FPT Industrie, HELVI, and HARDITALIA—companies that likewise appeared at the “Metalloobrabotka-2025” exhibition in Moscow.

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