American–made ammunition is being used by the Russian mercenary army, Wagner, according to a disturbing new report. The arms supplied by a company called Promtekhnologiya, which is based in Moscow and has been subject to American sanctions, indicate that despite the sanctions, lethal military equipment is still making its way into Russia‘s hands.
In a clip posted to Telegram, a masked sniper of the Wagner mercenary army speaks highly of the Russian–made Orsis T–5000 rifle. He says that the rifle “works very well” and can “penetrate light cover” and “strike the enemy at a range of up to 1,500 meters.” The weapon is manufactured by Promtekhnologiya, but the clip also reveals that the rifle is using Western .338 ammunition.
Now, a filing obtained by POLITICO shows that more than 100,000 rounds of .338 Lapua Magnum bullets and uncapped cartridge cases have been acquired from Hornady, a company based in Grand Island, Nebraska. This particular ammunition is not just used for hunting, it has also been utilized by Western militaries and snipers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
When reached by POLITICO for comment, Hornady CEO Steve Hornady denied selling any ammunition to Russia. “The instant Russia invaded Ukraine, we were done,” Hornady said. He added that they are taking extra precautions to ensure that their products are not re–exported to Russia. “We categorically are NOT exporting anything to Russia and have not had an export permit for Russia since 2014,” Hornady said.
Promtekhnologiya, however, denied filing any customs declarations to import the ammunition and said that their products are only for civilian use.
Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, unsurprisingly, had a different story. In a phone message sent to the POLITICO journalist, he asked for help procuring F–35s, U.S.-made sniper rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers.
But most concerning is the fact that it appears that despite targeted sanctions aimed at stopping the flow of weapons to Russia, the Wagner mercenary army is still able to utilize American–made ammunition.
“Strictly speaking, smart sanctions are not supposed to target anything civilian to avoid humanitarian collateral damage,” said defense analyst Maria Shagina. “But the targets in authoritarian countries will really exploit this.”
The United States has taken steps to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine, and this report should serve as a stark reminder that more needs to be done to curb the flow of weapons to Russia. They must continue to be held accountable for their actions and any violations of sanctions should be met with justice.
