Despite dozens of sanctions packages, Russia continues to export oil using a shadow fleet. At the same time, Russian gas—purchased by European companies and sourced directly from Russia—is being used to heat government buildings in the United Kingdom, including the prime minister’s residence.
Meanwhile, in circumvention of export restrictions, dual-use equipment continues to flow into Russia—including Austrian forging machines suitable for the production of artillery barrels. The shipments are routed through intermediary chains and offshore companies.
The company Forward Technical Trade SL, registered in Barcelona and solely owned by David Candel Sauri, supplied Russia with a second-hand forging machine weighing 110 tons and valued at approximately $1.3 million. Manufactured in 1983 by the Austrian firm GFM (Gesellschaft für Fertigungstechnik und Maschinenbau), the equipment was sent to the Izhevsk-based company AZK Group.
Details of the transaction surfaced during legal proceedings in which the Russian company challenged the machine’s classification: customs officials labeled it as a radial forging unit, while AZK Group insisted it was a rotary forging machine.
Forward Technical Trade SL has no website. Shipping documents list the point of origin as the city of Albacete, with the exporter identified as the Hong Kong-based offshore entity Scorpion’s Holding Group Limited. Customs clearance in Russia was handled by the Nizhny Novgorod office. GFM representatives later stated: "We have never had any business relationship or contact with Forward Technical Trade S.L.U. or Scorpion’s Holding Group Limited."
According to Russia’s corporate registry, AZK Group’s revenues have surged severalfold since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, reaching several hundred million rubles.
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According to a report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Austrian GFM forging machines—used for producing artillery barrels via radial forging—were first adopted in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. As early as 1975, a rotary forging machine, model SXP 5, was installed at a factory in Perm. In total, 26 such units were delivered to the USSR during that period. Russia has continued to rely on this equipment ever since.
Russia’s artillery industry is entirely dependent on GFM machinery, says Pavel Luzin, a visiting fellow at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. According to him, the country has no domestic production of radial forging machines. In 2011, Nikolai Bukhvalov, then head of the Motovilikha Plants in Perm, claimed that a local equivalent could be developed by 2017—at a projected cost of around 1.5 billion rubles. Yet there has been no evidence of progress on the project since then.
Artillery barrel production demands high precision, specific metallurgical properties, and considerable length. These requirements can only be met using automated forging machines capable of shaping billets with a high degree of accuracy. That is precisely the technology delivered by GFM equipment.
During active combat, artillery barrels degrade quickly and require regular replacement—a process known as rebarreling. While the theoretical lifespan may reach several thousand rounds depending on the caliber, in practice it is often much shorter. The main reasons are heavy use, inadequate maintenance, and poor ammunition quality.
According to independent OSINT analysts, Russian forces have faced a persistent shortage of artillery barrels since 2023. To offset the deficit, they have been tapping into Soviet-era stockpiles and turning to unconventional calibers, including 107 mm—typical of systems supplied by North Korea. In addition, the battlefield has seen improvised ground platforms built from repurposed naval and airborne artillery systems, including RBU-6000 anti-submarine mortars originally designed for use at sea.
Without access to radial forging machines, Russia would be unable to produce new artillery barrels—a critical limitation once Soviet reserves are exhausted. In the context of sustained frontline operations, such dependency could translate into direct consequences on the battlefield.
In response to a media inquiry, Spain’s Directorate-General for Trade Policy—which is responsible for enforcing sanctions and export controls—stated: "If you suspect that a Spanish exporter has committed an alleged offense involving the export of dual-use goods or technologies, you must report it to the Criminal Chamber of the National Court in accordance with Article 65 of Organic Law 6/1985 of July 1 on the Judiciary."
The European Commission—specifically, its Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (FISMA)—did not respond to the inquiry.