russia uses fertilisers to produce explosives in circumvention of sanctions

This is stated in a report by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), presented by NAKO senior researcher Viktoria Vyshnevska at Ukrinform.

According to the study, russia purchases nitrogen and nitric acid, which are key components for explosives, through the allegedly civilian companies Uralchem, EuroChem, Acron, and PhosAgro. These chemicals are then supplied to enterprises involved in the production of ammunition and artillery shells.

The author of the study noted that the sanctions regime has a structural gap, where the agricultural sector actually supports the military, as fertiliser giants remain largely exempt from tough sanctions on the grounds of food security. This approach, in her opinion, allows russia to maintain mass production of ammunition despite the sanctions.

She also pointed out that fertilisers are a sensitive and complex political issue, and their production is linked to state sovereignty and geopolitical influence.

‘This is perfectly demonstrated by russia with its policy of weaponising agricultural products,’ the researcher emphasised.

Bogdan Chumak, a representative of the Sanctions Policy Department of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in turn, advocated for increasing tariffs on russian and Belarusian fertilisers and searching for alternatives. However, he acknowledges that countries face a number of problems, as russia and Belarus control 40% of the market.

Ilya Neshodovsky, an economic expert at the ANTZ National Interest Protection Network, recalled that russia uses price bait when offering its fertilisers.

‘The cost of gas that they transfer to nitrogen fertiliser production enterprises is seven times lower than prices in the EU. Countries decide to buy russian fertilisers not because of a lack of alternatives, but because these fertilisers are much cheaper. russia is openly dumping,’ he explained.

Vyshnevska stressed that due to the dual purpose of russian fertilisers, sanctions do not take into account chemicals for explosives, so it is necessary to establish targeted control over components such as nitric acid and nitrate, and not just finished products.

Source: Ukrinform