Investigative Report on 13 Tons of Illegal Chemicals Intended to Reach Russia from Europe

Spanish authorities announced this fall that they have discovered a supply chain of sanctioned chemicals destined for Russia, including compounds that could be used to produce chemical weapons and nerve agents. The export of such chemicals from the European Union to Russia has raised alarms, especially considering the connections of Russian security services to chemical attacks against Kremlin opponents, including the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Spanish officials did not provide specific details about the types of chemicals in the 13 tons of the seized shipment, but investigative journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, analyzing a video released by the Spanish police, found that the barrels were labeled with NMP (a compound of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone). This chemical is used in the production of drones, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and batteries for nuclear submarines, playing a key role in the functioning of Russia's war machine. Although this substance is also widely used in the oil and pharmaceutical industries, it has been on the European Union's sanctions list since spring 2022, six weeks after the Russian army's extensive invasion of Ukraine, prohibiting its sale to Russia. Global consumption of this substance has also increased due to its use in lithium-ion battery and microchip production. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, labels on the seized barrels reveal that this shipment was produced by a Chinese company and arrived in Barcelona three months after leaving the port of Qingdao in China. Following the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Rostec, the Russian state corporation for the production and export of advanced military and civilian technologies under Western sanctions, has been regularly purchasing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone through an intermediary company from China and selling it to the Kurchatov Institute, which is also under sanctions. This research institute is responsible for developing Russia's nuclear arsenal and is currently involved in the design and production of drones. It is still unclear whether the barrels containing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone that were captured in the video are the only seized shipment; it is reported that Spanish police and customs have been investigating the smuggling of dual-use goods to Russia for two years. Spanish officials have not disclosed the names of the legal and natural persons suspected in this case and did not respond to inquiries from investigative journalists at Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe requesting the disclosure of the type of seized material in Barcelona. The U.S. National Intelligence report on the political assassinations of Putin's regime indicates that the Russian government has repeatedly claimed that Western sanctions have helped the country achieve economic self-sufficiency, but multiple investigations show that many raw materials, parts, and equipment are being imported into Russia. The supply of these materials is primarily the responsibility of China, but many Western products also reach Russia through representatives in countries that have not joined the sanctions. For example, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is not produced in Russia and its import is listed as a 'critical material for the chemical industry.' Before the full-scale war began three years ago, there were instances of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone produced in the West being purchased by the Russian military-industrial complex. For instance, a document dated 2018 shows that the Russian company 'Ural Element,' which was on the Western sanctions list, purchased 1.5 tons of German-produced N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone from the Russian company 'Ural Tech Import,' which was not under sanctions. 'Ural Element,' which presents itself as the 'strategic sector of the military industries,' operates under the umbrella of the 'tactical missile manufacturers' group, which has been targeted by Western sanctions for the past three years. In the summer of 2021, Alexei Kryvoruchko, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, visited the 'Ural Element' factory. In a statement released by the public relations office of this factory on this occasion, it was mentioned that 'important decisions regarding the production of special batteries for military unit 40056 have been signed.' Military unit 40056 is part of the Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research of Russia. In 2019, under the supervision of this directorate, a secret surveillance submarine informally known as 'Losharik' suffered a fatal incident during tests in the Barents Sea; the cause of this incident was later reported to be a short circuit in the battery. Another buyer of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is the 'Temp Avia Research and Production Company' in the city of Arzamas, located 400 kilometers east of Moscow. This company is also part of the 'tactical missile manufacturers' group and, according to official information, is engaged in the production of electronic components for military aircraft, missile systems, and drones in Russia. In the spring of 2023, the director of 'Temp Avia' admitted in an interview that the company's production volume had 'increased several times' due to Russia's war against Ukraine. Investigative journalists have also identified the 'Central Design and Technology Office for Polymer Materials' as a buyer of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; this 'office' supplied raw materials for the Votkinsk plant, which manufactures intercontinental ballistic missiles. About half of the 29 purchase documents for N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone reviewed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty before the start of Russia's war against Ukraine indicate that this substance was imported for Russia's military industries. After the war began, Russian companies turned to China to purchase this substance. The 'Petrov Plastics Institute,' a subsidiary of Rostec, is one such example. Documents from this company show that one of its main customers is 'Viam,' a special unit producing materials used in aircraft manufacturing at the 'Kurchatov Institute.' Mikhail Kovalchuk, a close associate of Vladimir Putin, manages this nuclear weapons production institute. Last year, during a roundtable, a senior scientist from 'Viam' announced that the company is engaged in the development and production of special unmanned aerial vehicles 'that assist in the country's air defense shield.' He also referred to some research on raw materials and additive technologies for producing the structures of these drones. Investigative journalists, by examining the labels in the police video, concluded that the Chinese company 'Bing Electronic Material' was the producer of this shipment; N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is listed as a product manufactured at this factory. Additionally, according to this report, based on the number of one of the containers, it is evident that this shipment was transported by the Chinese shipping company 'Yang Ming Marine,' and the shipping route of the seized shipment is specified on the company's website: this container departed from the port of Qingdao in China on June 19, arrived in Singapore on July 10, and set off for Barcelona on July 28, arriving there on September 21; three weeks later, Spanish police announced the seizure of this shipment. According to the New York Times, Western security agencies consider Russia responsible for attacks in Europe. Documents reviewed by Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe indicate that this shipment was purchased in 2023 by the Russian company 'Aventel.' Before the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, this company had proposed to supply N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone for the 'Esordlov Factory,' but this proposal was apparently rejected. The 'Esordlov Factory' is a producer of explosives and is under U.S. sanctions. The investigation in Spain, conducted in collaboration with the European Anti-Fraud Office, began in 2022 and was codenamed 'Operation Probirka' (the Russian word for 'test tube'). Spanish police announced that during this investigation, they discovered that a Spanish company, apparently established and managed by Russian nationals, had created a complex network for smuggling chemicals to Russia. According to the Spanish police, this company had a representative office in Moscow, which was the final customer of these chemicals, but in this process, companies in third countries, including Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, played a role. The official report indicates that shipments containing chemicals changed their routes before reaching these third countries and were sent to Russia. The report states that this same method is used for sending other dual-use products also through Central Asian countries. These 'Russia-friendly' countries obstruct Western efforts to limit Russia's military capabilities during the war against Ukraine. Spanish police have not provided further details to investigative journalists due to 'ongoing investigations.'