Chinese companies supply Belarusian defense contractor linked to Russia – media

Belarusian opposition group BelPol has obtained contracts, payment records and other information about deals between companies in Belarus and China from multiple industry sources.

Chinese companies exported precision parts used in Russian weapons to a Belarusian defense contractor even after it was hit with sanctions , documents obtained by Nikkei Asia show.

China insists it is not providing armed support to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, but the documents suggest Chinese companies may be knowingly facilitating arms shipments to Russia.

Belarusian opposition group BelPol has obtained contracts, payment records and other information about deals between companies in Belarus and China from multiple industry sources.

According to the records, on December 1, Shenzhen-based Green Cycle Energy received an order from Belarusian defense holding BelOMO for 3,000 components for the LAD-21T laser module. This advanced module is used to guide laser-guided bombs and missiles.

The payment was made in yuan. The Shanghai branch of the Russian state bank VTB participated in the payment.

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on BelOMO on December 5 last year for providing weapons to the Russian military. However, on February 16, Green Cycle Energy and BelOMO signed a contract to purchase these components for another 5.56 million yuan ($764,000 at the current exchange rate).

Morotack (Tianjin) Technology, another Chinese component manufacturer, signed a contract on February 1 to supply 200 units of components called “flanges” to the Diaproektor group of the BelOMO holding for 114,000 yuan. Belarusian and Chinese banks participated in the deal.

These components are considered critical to the latest guidance systems. In a letter dated May 2, BelOMO also demanded that Morotack send 100 units of the relevant components monthly.

Documents obtained by BelPol hint at close cooperation between Russian and Belarusian defense contractors.

On February 2, the St. Petersburg company Precise Laser Systems supplied Diaproektor with laser-related components. These components contained laser diodes made by the Chinese manufacturer Haucore of Jinan.

The shipment consisted of 78 units and was valued at $499,200. PLS made similar deliveries to Diaproektor on February 20 and March 20.

Meanwhile, Diaproektor sells components to the Belarusian defense enterprise Peleng, which supplies the Russian military with Sosna-U tank gunner sights and is under US and UK sanctions.

In a purchase order sent to PLS in February 2023, Diaproektor indicated that its components would be supplied to Peleng “for the production of Sosna-U under the state defense order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.”

(C)UNIAN 2024