China facilitated the transfer of sniper ammunition: the journey of Belgian NLC machinery to a Rostec facility

China facilitated the transfer of sniper ammunition: the journey of Belgian NLC machinery to a Rostec facility

For years, Belgian New Lachaussée has insisted: “Since 2014 – no dealings with Russia’s military-industrial complex”. Yet equipment produced by this company appeared at a Rostec enterprise that manufactures primers for combat ammunition and patents cartridge cases suitable for sniper rifles.

Before the full-scale invasion, supplies were delivered directly, and multiple journalistic investigations documented these facts. In the midst of the full-scale war, a used NLC press once again arrived in Russia. The StateWatch team analyzed the history of New Lachaussée’s product supplies to the Russian Federation and, together with François Corbiau, an independent journalist, investigated how Belgian equipment once again reached the aggressor state in 2024.

Key Findings:

• In 2019, New Lachaussée supplied equipment for the production of industrial detonators to JSC Novosibirsk Mechanical Plant Iskra, contributing to the modernization of the enterprise.
• In addition to its civilian output, the Russian plant holds licenses for ammunition production, manufactures primers for ammunition and develops cartridge cases for small arms.
• In 2024, used New Lachaussée equipment was re-exported to Russia via an intermediary in China – Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development Co., Ltd.
• Both the Chinese supplier and the Russian importer, LLC TK Mir, are known for their cooperation with Russia’s military-industrial complex and maintain historical ties with the Novosibirsk Plant Iskra.

Located in the industrial Belgian city of Herstal, New Lachaussée (NLC) has specialized in the design and manufacture of equipment for producing small-caliber ammunition, detonator primers, and pyrotechnic compositions since 1830. New Lachaussée is a full-cycle enterprise capable of manufacturing equipment for all stages of ammunition production, from metal processing to waste recycling. As a result, its products are widely used in the defense sector.

Illustrative photo. A model of New Lachaussée equipment displayed on the company’s official website. Source: New Lachaussée s.a.

Although NLC production lines are capable of manufacturing millions of rounds per year, the company itself does not produce ammunition. New Lachaussée focuses exclusively on the design and manufacture of specialized equipment, most of which is exported to foreign customers. For a long time, one of the Belgian company’s clients was Russia.

After the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and the introduction of international sanctions against Russia, EU countries ceased trade in military products with the Russian Federation, which should also have ended New Lachaussée’s cooperation with Russian military enterprises. However, journalistic investigations published after the full-scale invasion indicate something quite different.
In 2022, the hacker group Anonymous released correspondence of top managers of the Russian Lipetsk Mechanical Plant (also known as LMZ), revealing that several months before the full-scale invasion, the management of the plant was helping the Kalashnikov Concern search for an ammunition production line. Acting as an intermediary, LMZ was actively negotiating with New Lachaussée. During these exchanges, the Russians received confidential data from a representative of the Belgian company.

An example of correspondence between Dmitry Belykh, the commercial director of LMZ at the time, and New Lachaussée representative Igor Pozhyvil in December 2021. Screenshot from the Internet (Translation: “Dear Dmitry Ivanovich, CONFIDENTIAL. Please find attached information regarding item 1 (a 100-ton press for cutting and rolling cups for cartridge cases and bullet jackets, 9, 7.62, 5.45… up to 12.7. Press speed 70-150 strokes/min. Suitable for both brass and steel up to 4 mm thick). Best regards, Igor”).

Following this, an investigation by Belgian journalist François Corbiau was published in the summer of 2023, drawing attention to possible cooperation between New Lachaussée and Russian Tula Cartridge Works, and advancing a hypothesis that NLC equipment was being supplied to Russia via Serbia. In its official response, New Lachaussée stated that, “since 2014, it [New Lachaussée] had no direct or indirect business relations with any organization active in armaments established in Russia.”

Official comment by New Lachaussée following the publication of the investigation. Source: New Lachaussée s.a.

Together with François Corbiau, StateWatch analysts continued to examine New Lachaussée’s activities in Russia and collected substantial evidence that the company’s former clients are directly linked to the Russian military-industrial complex.

A ‘Spark’ for Russian armaments

(Note for English-speaking readers: the Russian word for “Spark” is “Iskra”, which creates a wordplay in the title of this section)

In 2019, New Lachaussée supplied Novosibirsk Mechanical Plant Iskra JSC (also known as NMZ Iskra JSC) with a rotary unit for producing delay elements for detonator primers. The equipment was intended exclusively for civilian use and soon became part of a detonator production line for blasting operations in mining and coal extraction.

New Lachaussée logo on the equipment installed at the “Novosibirsk Mechanical Plant “Iskra”. Photo from the Internet.

With a capacity of 9,000 items per hour, the Belgian unit allowed the enterprise to significantly increase production volumes as part of modernization, as well as generate substantial profits. Russian media stated that, by the end of 2019, sales of detonator primers had increased by 88%, and in 2020 by another 200% for certain product types – a real success for NMZ Iskra.

A report on the profit from a new rotary unit posted on the website of the Russian state corporation Rostec. Screenshot from the Internet (automatically translated from Russian using Google Translate).

At first glance, the Novosibirsk plant actively presents itself as a civilian enterprise. In reality, however, Iskra fulfills state defense orders, supplies products to enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, and is part of the Rostec corporation. The plant holds a number of licenses from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, some of which were issued long before cooperation with New Lachaussée and are directly related to military activities:

• Since 2013 – a license for the development and production of weapons, military equipment, and ammunition.
• Since 2015 – a license for the sale of ammunition and pyrotechnic products.
• Since 2022 – a license for the development of service and civilian weapons.

And it seems like the plant puts these licenses into practice. In an article published in 2020 by one of the Russian media outlets as promotional content for Iskra, it is openly stated that the enterprise manufactures primers for combat ammunition for small arms. A primer is a small but critically important device required to ignite the main propellant charge of ammunition.

“NMZ Iskra is one of the strategic enterprises of the Russian defense-industrial complex. (…) The range of primers produced by the plant is intended to ignite propellant charges in cartridges of calibers 7.62×54R mm, 7.62×39 mm, 5.56×45 mm, as well as propellant charges in pistol cartridges”, the source reports.

Description of primers manufactured at the Iskra plant. Screenshot from the Internet (automatically translated from Russian using Google Translate).

According to Russian state registers, in 2017–2020 Iskra also supplied ammunition and pyrotechnic products to a number of enterprises within the Russian military-industrial complex. Among them were the “P.V. Finogenov Amur Cartridge Plant “Vympel”, the military parachute manufacturer “NPO Parashyutostroeniya” JSC, as well as aviation plants “275 ARZ” JSC  and “514 ARZ” JSC, both of which repair Russian Su and MiG fighter jets.

Supplies from the Iskra plant to other enterprises of Russia’s military-industrial complex. Screenshot from the Internet (automatically translated from Russian using Google Translate).

Subsequently, the Kremlin restricted public access to information on state procurement by defense enterprises. The plant, however, kept displaying its military activities in the media:

“Within the framework of state orders, Novosibirsk Iskra supplied military and civilian products to small arms manufacturers, a producer of parachute systems, and aviation holdings. (…) ‘In 2021, under state orders, NMZ Iskra supplied products worth more than 281.8 million rubles’, commented Igor Nasyenkov, the CEO of the Tekhnodinamika holding.”

In 2023, Iskra’s license to manufacture weapons and ammunition was renewed, clearly indicating that the plant continues its activities in the military field during the full-scale invasion. This is further confirmed by scientific research conducted at the enterprise. In March 2025, one of Russia’s largest news outlets reported that the Novosibirsk Mechanical Plant Iskra had developed and patented a high-strength cartridge case for combat small arms.

Report on Iskra’s patent for a cartridge case for small arms. Screenshot from the Internet (automatically translated from Russian using Google Translate).

“The proposed design [of the new cartridge case] makes it possible to manufactureprecision cartridges for sniper riflesthat ensure high accuracy and shot grouping. As follows from the patent, the use of such cartridges is considered, in particular,for the new sniper rifle ‘Ugolek’,the development of which Rostec began in 2019.”

Finally, a number of court cases were identified that further complement the previously collected evidence. In 2024, a dispute arose between Iskra and the above-mentioned Vympel cartridge plant regarding one of the supplies valued at 15 million rubles. A Russian arbitration court ruled that the case should be heard in a closed court session, since “the materials contain information about ammunition for combat weapons that is included in the List of information subject to classification”.

Materials of the court case between JSC “NMZ Iskra” and Federal State Enterprise “APZ Vympel named after P.V. Finogenov.” Screenshot from the Internet (Translation: “On 25 October 2024, the court received a motion from the Federal State Enterprise ‘Vympel’ requesting that case No. A73-17613/2024 be heard in a closed court session, citing that the case materials contain information on a cartridge manufactured for combat weapons, which is included in the List of Information Subject to Classification.”).

Cooperation with manufacturers of military parachute systems also continues. In the same year, 2024, Iskra was involved in a court case against the “Research Institute of Aeroelastic Systems”. The latter had purchased pyrotechnic products from Iskra for parachute testing carried out under a state defense order. The institute is located in the city of Feodosia, in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, and until 2014 it belonged to the Ukrainian state corporation Ukroboronprom. After Russia’s occupation of the peninsula, the institution was forcibly incorporated into one of Rostec holdings.

Materials of the court case between JSC “NMZ Iskra” and the “Research Institute of Aeroelastic Systems.” Screenshot from the Internet (Translation: “…the pyrotechnic cutters R7M purchased by JSC ‘Research Institute of Aeroelastic Systems’ were necessary for the timely conduct of preliminary state tests under a state defense contract within the R&D project ‘Parachute’.”).

The conclusion about Novosibirsk Mechanical Plant Iskra is quite simple – Russian industry is so deeply integrated into the military complex that any state-owned enterprise should, by default, be regarded by trading partners as connected to the defense sector. This is especially true for enterprises of the Rostec corporation, which is responsible for producing at least 80% of the weapons Russia uses in its war against Ukraine.

Data on the licenses and activities of NMZ Iskra JSC had been publicly available on the Internet for years, as was information about the company’s affiliation with Rostec and its numerous supplies of military products to enterprises of Russia’s military-industrial complex. Even if the equipment manufactured by New Lachaussée did not have a direct application in the production of weapons components, it still helped modernize the plant and economically strengthen a Russian enterprise associated with military research.

However, the story does not end there. Recently, at the height of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia appears to have once again received equipment manufactured by NLC. This time, however, it did not arrive from Belgium.

Illustrative photo. Rotary unit installed at the Novosibirsk Mechanical Plant Iskra. Screenshot from the Internet.

Russian importers – Chinese partners

In August 2024, a new entry appeared in Russian customs data: a used extrusion press manufactured in 2017 is on the way to the Russian Federation from China. The unit is used to produce complex-shaped aluminum components. The value is USD 760,000. Manufacturer: New Lachaussée. The equipment is delivered by the Chinese company Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development Co., Ltd. at the request of the Russian importer Trading Company Mir LLC. As will become clear, both companies are in some way connected to the Novosibirsk Iskra plant.

According to the data from Chinese business verification services provided by OCCRP’s Research and Data Desk, Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development Co., Ltd. (抚顺华瑞化工科技发展有限公司) manufactures surfactant chemicals and is also engaged in the sale of electronics, spare parts, and various types of equipment.

This is not the first time the supplier has worked with Russians. The company had already been flagged during the visit of the sanctioned governor of Irkutsk Oblast, Igor Kobzev, to China in 2024. During the meeting Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development even reached an agreement on cooperation with one of the Russian funds

Report on the visit of the Russian delegation on the portal of the Chinese city of Fushun (automatically translated from Chinese using Google Translate).

“On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of partnership relations between Liaoning Province and Irkutsk Oblast, Governor Kobzev led a friendly economic and trade delegation that visited Liaoning Province from June 15 to 18 and held a series of negotiations in the field of economy and trade. [Chinese] enterprises held individual meetings with Russian companies. (…) In particular, Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development Co. and the Industrial Development Fund of Irkutsk Oblast reached a preliminary cooperation agreement”, the Chinese source notes.

Moreover, according to Russian import data, in 2024 the main client of Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development was the already familiar Novosibirsk Iskra plant, for which the Chinese company carried out six shipments of electronic modules and conductors totaling nearly USD 2 million. And only the last shipment – the New Lachaussée extrusion press – was suddenly addressed to another company, the Russian Trading Company Mir LLC. And this company, too, is rather suspicious.

Trading Company Mir was founded in Moscow five months after the start of the full-scale invasion, when Russian industry had already begun to experience the severe effects of international sanctions. Since 2023, TC Mir has signed Declarations of Conformity for dozens of prohibited components of all kinds. The list includes American microchips, Chinese flight controllers, cameras with sensors, GPS modules, and other products repeatedly found in Russian weapons.

Western microelectronics imported into Russia by Trading Company Mir during the full-scale invasion. Screenshot from the Internet (automatically translated from Russian using Google Translate).

The company’s suspicious activities quickly attracted the attention of Ukrainian intelligence. Specialists of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine established that TC Mir supplied servo motors produced by the Korean manufacturer Dynamixel to Russia; these were subsequently used in the production of “Banderol” cruise missiles, with which Russia has been attacking Ukraine since spring 2025. This example makes it clear that sanctioned components passing through the trading company ultimately end up at enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Only one question remains open: to whom could TC Mir have transferred the New Lachaussée equipment?

It turns out that the parent structure of TC Mir, Logistics Company Mir LLC, until 2021 was part of Tekhnodinamika, a holding company of the state corporation Rostec, which also includes NMZ Iskra. Moreover, along with other enterprises, Iskra is directly listed among the partners of Logistics Company Mir, which, like its subsidiary, is engaged in the transportation of dangerous goods.

The Novosibirsk Iskra plant listed among partners on the website of Logistics Company Mir, the parent company of Trading Company Mir. Screenshot from the Internet (automatically translated from Russian using Google Translate).

Taking into account Iskra’s past contracts with New Lachaussée, the plant’s trade with the Chinese company Fushun Huarui Chemical Technology Development, and its partnership with Logistics Company Mir, it can be assumed that in 2024 the NLC extrusion press did indeed supplement the production line of the Novosibirsk plant.

In response to an inquiry from Belgian journalist François Corbiau, New Lachaussée stated that an extrusion press of this model has no application in military systems and does not constitute a dual-use item. The manufacturer emphasized that it cannot control the end user after the equipment is resold by an independent third party, and therefore the press could have been lawfully resold to any purchaser.

Links between the main figures of the investigation. Visualized using the YC World tool from the YouControl analytical system.

Meanwhile, Logistics Company Mir LLC and Trading Company Mir LLC, despite the documented imports of critically important products into the Russian Federation and their connection to the Rostec corporation, are still not subject to international sanctions. This potentially allows the group of companies to continue obtaining critical goods from abroad.

Russia’s sanction evasion routes have already shifted toward China. The deep cooperation between Chinese suppliers and Russian importers cannot be accidental. Meetings with sanctioned governors, agreements with Russian funds, and dozens of imported prohibited items indicate that the partnership between China and Russia is taking on a strategic and well-established character. In this context, Western manufacturers are advised to pay particular attention to verifying the end users of their products and to implement necessary technical measures to track the location of equipment even after sale.