Caterpillar equipment being supplied to Russia in circumvention of sanctions - media

This was reported by The Insider, Ukrinform saw.

Journalists learned that in the first three months of 2024, more than $24 million worth of equipment and spare parts produced by Caterpillar arrived in Russia. These include industrial engines, spare parts for crawler loaders, bearings for road construction machinery, generators for Caterpillar equipment, pumps and their parts, gears, etc. Judging by product descriptions, these are newly-made parts and units.

Vostochnaya Technica LLC became the leading importer. More than 60% of goods (by value), according to the "product origin" data, were manufactured in the USA.

According to The Insider, the importer of Caterpillar products, Vostochnaya Technica LLC, is a 100% subsidiary of the British VOSTOCHNAYA TECHNICA UK LIMITED, managed by three South African citizens and an Australian national. All shares of this company had belonged to Barloworld Equipment UK Limited until the end of 2023 before the owner was changed to the South African Barloworld Investments.

As the media platform points out, Caterpillar cannot be unaware that its dealer is selling its equipment in Siberia, as Barloworld has openly declared the continuation of business with Russia (at the same time referring to the war a "Russo-Ukrainian crisis"). Also, the financial reports of the British subsidiary through which the business is run in Russia, also publicly available.

Caterpillar Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of excavators, mining, construction, and energy equipment, gas turbines, and other complex industrial machines and equipment.

In May 2022, the corporation announced its withdrawal from Russia. The assets that remained there were seized by Putin's decrees in favor of the former Sberbank managers. However, on the website of the parent corporation, the page of the Tosna Caterpillar plant is still up.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in March 2022, Caterpillar said it was curtailing its business activities on the territory of Russia, as well as allocating more than $1 million to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Photo: The Insider