Western companies supply Russia with components for the production of prosthetics, which are also received by war veterans in Ukraine.
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This is stated in an investigation by the BBC Russian Service.
Microelectronics for prosthetics are also likely delivered to Russia through gray schemes through third countries.
For example, prosthetics made from Russian and imported components for fighters of the Wagner PPK are supplied by the Indrive company, which opened in mid-March 2023 in Anapa.
Indrive assembles prosthetics from components ordered from specialized suppliers. For example, in the Russian company Metiz. The Russian branch of the German company Ottobock, considered a world leader in the field of prosthetics and rehabilitation products, also sold them to Indrive.
Following BBC reports that Ottobock products could be obtained by mercenaries, the company conducted an internal investigation which confirmed the sale of a small number of knee joints and prosthetic feet to Indrive. Ottobock’s head office assured that it would cease business relations with the company.
Six days after the assurances, a representative of the Moscow office of Ottobock, Maxim Fedotov, spoke at the scientific and practical conference Life after Z, where participants talked about how to improve the quality and accessibility of rehabilitation for Russians participating in the SVO.
Germany assured that the conference was not held by the military.
The Icelandic office of Ossur, also a major manufacturer of prosthetics, reported that they stopped sales to Russia when the war began in Ukraine.
We do not directly supply prosthetic products, microprocessor controlled or otherwise, to companies or other organizations in Russia. And I can confirm that Ossur did not sell Salut-Ortho products in Kazakhstan,” Vice President for Corporate Communications Edda H. Geirsdottir wrote in response to a question from the BBC.
At the same time, Deputy General Director of Transparency International Russia Ilya Shumanov notes that “it is obvious that Russian suppliers and buyers of this equipment are forced to use gray schemes to circumvent sanctions.”
Meanwhile, the publication “7×7” found that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prices for prosthetics made from cheap materials in Russia have increased by 20-50%. By fulfilling government orders, companies save money because the authorities ignore rising prices. Previous dentures made from high-quality materials have more than doubled in price.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.