Czech counterintelligence will investigate domestic companies allegedly involved in exporting machinery to Russia for weapons manufacturing. The Czech Security Information Service (BIS) says it will act once official information is provided, according to iRozhlas.

On 21 June, Zelenskyy told reporters that Russia continues receiving machine tools from foreign companies, including eight based in the Czech Republic. He said these tools are used for weapons manufacturing. Though he withheld specific names, Zelenskyy stated he knows the companies involved and urged sanctions against them.

BIS awaits official list, doubts direct Czech exports

BIS spokesperson Ladislav Šticha told iRozhlas that Czech authorities have yet to receive any official list of the companies Zelenskyy mentioned.

“It is therefore very difficult to comment on which companies and goods are involved,” Šticha stated.

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Czech firms secretly shipped machine tools to Russia — even during war, investigation finds

According to him, hundreds of companies are attempting to export to Russia. Šticha added that many of the now-embargoed items were exported before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when such trade was still legal.

BIS believes it is “almost certain” none of the cases involve direct exports from the Czech Republic to Russia, as such transfers require a license and could not legally cross borders otherwise.

Third-country reexports suspected

Šticha suggested that it could be goods delivered legally before 2022 or re-exported via other countries. In some cases, companies may have sold products to “safe” nations, including EU members, not realizing they would be reexported to Russia.

“Firms often argue they were unaware of subsequent resales, and it’s very difficult to prove otherwise,” Šticha noted.

Recently, Ukrainska Pravda reported that the Czech company Leseft International s.r.o., located in Ostrava, may have been involved in delivering components used in Russian rockets. Šticha declined to comment directly but confirmed:

“This company is not unknown to us.”

Sanctions evasion

According to Šticha, BIS handles dozens of cases annually where companies attempt to bypass sanctions by routing embargoed items through complex export networks. The agency cooperates with other state institutions and foreign partners to intercept such attempts.

Šticha stressed that the number of state experts is too small compared to the volume of companies attempting to skirt sanctions.

Last week, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated that based on Ukrainian-provided information, Czech authorities have found no indicators confirming the transfer of dual-use items to Russia.

At a press conference last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia continues to receive machine tools from abroad, naming eight Czech companies among the suppliers. Czech officials responded with claims of ignorance, but an investigation by a Russian outlet, The Insider, found at least twelve such firms had equipment sent to Russia during 2023 and 2024.

Zelenskyy’s remarks prompt official Czech reaction

Speaking on 21 June 2025, Zelenskyy alleged that the Russian defense industry is still being supplied with foreign machine tools, singling out Czech companies. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský replied that he does not know which companies are involved.

Meanwhile, Czech Minister for Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček promised to investigate the possible involvement of Czech businesses in supplying Russia’s defense industry. Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvořák acknowledged that Zelenskyy “might be right” and added that the possibility of Czech companies bypassing sanctions “would not surprise” him.

12 Czech companies exported machine tools to Russia

An investigation published by The Insider on 25 June revealed that at least 12 Czech companies exported machine tools into Russia in 2023 and 2024, often through countries such as Estonia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Latvia. Based on Russian customs data, Czech machinery worth $18 million entered Russia in 2023, and $12 million in 2024. The bulk of this trade—around $8 million—came from just three manufacturers: Šmeral Brno, Varnsdorf, and TAJMAC-ZPS.

Sanction bypasses and subsidiaries used for delivery

According to The Insider, Czech tools reached Russia through indirect routes. One Russian recipient, JSC Pilous, 70% owned by Pilous-Pásové Pily, got bandsaws shipped via Serbia. Šmeral Brno still publicly lists Russia as a key export destination.

Czech machines linked to Russian drone hub

One delivery followed by The Insider went to a firm near a Shahed drone site in Russia’s Alabuga zone. The recipient, 60% owned by Czech firm Jihostroj, got a rack press built by its parent for use in gear pump production.

Russia uses the Iranian-designed Shahed drones, produced in Tatarstan’s Alabuga for daily attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Additional exporters active in 2023–2024

The Insider also identified five more Czech firms—N.Ko, Prestar, Tachtech, Stroje Zeman Trade, and Permico—that supplied metalworking equipment to Russia during 2023–2024. In total, their shipments were valued at roughly $500,000. The deliveries included pipe-cutting tools applicable to the energy sector. Several buyers were obscure entities, likely retail or specialized resellers. Among them, OOO “Takhtech Rus,” the Russian branch of Czech firm Tachtech, remains openly active in Russia as of 2025.

Permico s.r.o., another exporter, shipped a South Korean-made Doosan CNC lathe to Russia in 2024. The company denied having traded with Russia, but its public materials indicate it buys and sells used machinery across third countries.

The country has begun construction of its biggest military plant, covering more than 5 hectares. According to leader Kim Jong Un, this will enable a “leap forward in the defense industry” and allow production of modern, high-tech machinery, NK Pro reports. 

Analysts emphasize that the new facility could become a tool for significantly increasing North Korea’s military equipment exports, especially to Russia. This will strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and impact the global arms market.

The factory will produce domestically made Ryonha machine tools, which can replace imported counterparts and provide greater self-sufficiency for North Korea’s defense industry.

Construction started shortly after Kim Jong Un visited the site last month. State media released an artistic rendering of the future plant, which will surpass in size the main production workshop of Huichon Ryonha in Chagang Province.

Earlier, captured North Korean soldiers in Ukraine revealed that Pyongyang operates a military training base designed to resemble Seoul and other major South Korean cities.

The 3.5 km by 1.5 km facility includes a 40-hectare mock city divided into four sections for urban warfare training. Most structures are simple, single-story buildings, with a handful of two-story models.