Western loopholes help Russian snipers evade EU embargo
Despite the embargo imposed by EU countries on Russia in 2014, Russia continues to acquire sniper weapons and ammunition from Western manufacturers. Western companies have increased sales to Central Asian and Caucasian countries, from where the weapons make their way to Russia, reports the Insider portal.
7:47 AM EST, December 13, 2024
Insider conducted a journalistic investigation in collaboration with portals from the Czech Republic (Investigate.cz), Italy (IrpiMedia), and Kazakhstan (Vlast.kz). They found that in recent years, companies from the European Union, the United States, and Turkey have boosted arms deliveries to Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Annually, tens of thousands of weapons are sent to these countries, eventually reaching Russia.
In September of this year, sniper competitions were held in Russian-occupied Crimea. In the 5,250 feet competition, the most popular weapons used by Russian snipers were the American Desert Tech SRS (7 out of 36 competitors), the British Accuracy International AXSR (7 out of 36), and the Austrian Steyr Mannlicher SSG (also 7 out of 36). Only seven shooters used Russian weapons, and only four used Russian ammunition.
Weapons enter through the back door
In 2020, Western producers of sniper weapons sold a total of 19,556 precision firearms to Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, while in 2023, the number rose to 53,211. Western manufacturers officially sell weapons to companies in countries neighboring Russia, where they can easily be found in stores or through private sellers in Russia; the same applies to ammunition, according to the Insider's investigation.
When EU countries imposed an embargo on weapons sales to Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, two major loopholes were identified in the regulations, claims Insider. Firstly, EU Council Regulation No. 833/2014 of July 31, 2014, allowed for new deliveries under contracts concluded before August 1, 2014.
Secondly, the document did not provide for any export control measures to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. These countries are connected by a customs union and are members of the military-political bloc CSTO, meaning a customs declaration or a certificate for weapons issued by one of the EAEU countries is valid in any other, including Russia.
Insider also notes that modern Western sniper rifles are favored by Russians partly because the most common Russian-made sniper rifle, the SVD, or Dragunov sniper rifle, was developed in 1963 and has not been significantly modernized since. Its effective range is 1,970-2,300 feet, while modern Western weapons are precise over much greater distances and are considerably lighter.
