Austrian aviation company could supply spare parts to Russia, evading sanctions

The Austrian company Diamond Aircraft could supply spare parts and engines for its planes to the Russian Federation through China, bypassing sanctions.

This was reported by the leading Austrian newspaper, Kronen Zeitung, Ukrinform saw.

"Explosive export business in Austria: according to Russian contracts, engines and even entire aircraft from domestic (Austrian – ed.) manufacturers could land in Moscow via China. Plastic parts for drones and other weapons systems are also said to go to Putin ‘obliviously via Beijing, the Arab Emirates and Co.," the article says.

The article mentions the company Diamond Aircraft based in Wiener-Neustadt, Lower Austria, which "does good business with its private aircraft all over the world." At the same time, both the parent company itself and its subsidiary, Austro Engines, maintain close business relations with Chinese companies, according to reports: "after all, it now also belongs to the Chinese Wanfeng Auto Holding Group."

"But this is apparently where the problem begins: deliveries would not end up in the Middle Kingdom, but in Russia. At least one of the end users, Ural Works of Civil Aviation (UZGA), is involved in the production of deadly drones used by the Russian army in the war against Ukraine. UZGA, for example, supplies the Russian Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation with red-white-red spare parts for engines of the Diamond aircraft DA40NG and an E4-A engine from Austro Engine. The total amount of the new contract is about 52 million rubles (about 510,000 euros)," the report reads.

With reference to Ukrainian sources, the Kronen Zeitung reports that Austrian aircraft are also used to train fighter pilots. "All this is happening despite threatened sanctions and a ban on circumvention by the EU. Ukrainian authorities are protesting vehemently, and the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence has provisionally started investigations," the article states.

The Austrian company Diamond Aircraft denied the allegations. "Aircraft are not subject to export restrictions. As a result of the careful examinations, however, it happens that we refrain from potential business. Concrete suspicions about unauthorized deliveries are being investigated. In the case of Russia, too, there were indications, which could be clearly refuted," the company said.

Along with this, the Kronen Zeitung journalists also say that the Austrian company FACC, which is also largely owned by the state defense company Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), could have supplied Russia with its plastic products since the invasion of Ukraine. Documents available to the newspaper indicate that Russian companies imported FACC products worth $230,000 in 2023. The FACC denied the allegations.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, at least 169 Austrian Steyr Mannlicher rifles and pistols, which are also used in the war against Ukraine, were imported to Russia after February 24, 2022, in circumvention of sanctions.