An Indian company shipped $1.4 million worth of military-grade explosives to Russia in December, according to Indian customs data seen by Reuters, despite U.S. threats to impose sanctions on any organisation that supports Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.
One of the Russian companies listed as recipients of the substance, known as octogenes, is explosives manufacturer Promsintez, which a Ukrainian Security Service official said has ties to the country’s army.
The official said Ukraine carried out a drone attack on a factory owned by Promsintez in April. According to the Pentagon’s Centre for Defence Technical Information and related defence research programmes, octogenene is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, explosive shells and plastic explosives for advanced military systems.
The U.S. government has identified octogenes as “critical to Russia’s war effort” and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sale of the substance to Moscow.
No sales of octogen to Russian firms have been previously reported.
India, which has recently forged closer ties with the U.S. in an attempt to balance China’s growing influence, has not abandoned its longstanding military and economic ties with Moscow.
India’s trade with Russia, especially its purchases of Russian oil, has remained stable even as Western countries have tried to paralyse Russia’s military economy with sanctions.
US President Donald Trump had earlier in July threatened to impose a 100 per cent tariff on countries if they continue to buy Russian crude oil.
The U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to impose sanctions on those who sell octogenin and similar substances to Russia, according to three sanctions lawyers.
Reuters has no indication that the octogenene shipments violated Indian government policy. One Indian official with knowledge of the shipments said the compound has limited civilian uses beyond its better-known military use.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said India exports dual-use items “in view of its international nonproliferation obligations and on the basis of its robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of the relevant criteria for such exports.”
The U.S. State Department did not comment on specific shipments identified by Reuters, but said it has repeatedly informed India that companies involved in military business are at risk of sanctions.