Despite EU sanctions targeting Deripaska, a key Kremlin ally, Ireland continues to host Aughinish Alumina, an alumina refinery owned by Rusal, an industrial group in which Deripaska owns a quarter.
An investigation last week by The Irish Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project suggests that alumina produced in Limerick, Ireland, is finding its way into supply chains that could ultimately reach dozens of Russian arms manufacturers. Aluminum oxide is crucial in the production of aluminum.
Alumina exports from Ireland to Russia have skyrocketed since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine in 2022, rising from $243 million. up to $376 million, despite a broader sanctions system, reports “The Moscow Times”.
Legally, none of this violates EU rules. But that's the problem. Deripaska is under sanctions and his name has been blacklisted. Despite this, corporate structures linked to his influence continue to operate, reports “The Moscow Times”.
Larysa Gerasko, Ukraine's ambassador to Ireland, expressed her concerns to the Irish government, stressing that reports of links between alumina produced in Ireland and Russian aluminum used by entities linked to the defense sector raise “serious and legitimate questions.”
Even the EU's sanctions enforcement body expressed concern. David O'Sullivan, the European Commission's sanctions envoy responsible for overseeing EU restrictive measures against Russia, warned that reports linking European goods to Russia's military-industrial complex were “worrying.”
O'Sullivan stressed that legitimate European companies should not provide materials that could be used to fuel the war in Ukraine.
Who is Oleg Deripaska?
Oleg Deripaska is a member of Vladimir Putin's inner circle, and the oligarch's enterprises are actively involved in supplying the Russian military-industrial complex. In particular, the billionaire's factories produce components for Iskander ballistic missiles, drones and radar systems.
Deripaska has been under US sanctions since April 2018 as a person closely associated with the Kremlin and financing Russian state projects. After the Russian army's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union, Great Britain and a number of other countries imposed restrictive measures on the businessman.
Source: The Moscow Times
