When direct supplies became impossible in February 2022, German company Kilic Feintechnik GmbH from Schweighausen did not stop doing business with Russia — it simply changed the route. From October 2022, Kilic Feintechnik began directing shipments through a newly registered Turkish company Yagmur global dis ticaret limited sirketi. This is what a typical "premium smuggling" scheme through Turkey looks like, as documented by The Insider and Trap Aggressor.
Hunters Who Don't Hunt
According to customs documents, Kilic Feintechnik sold Russia MAK scopes for almost $800,000 since the start of the full-scale invasion. The official product marking is "not for military use." The reality is different.
"The scheme of supplying German scopes to Russia demonstrates a systematic approach to sanctions evasion: from direct supplies before the full-scale invasion — to using a Turkish company as a proxy after it began."
— investigation by Trap Aggressor / The Insider
In September 2023, Marat Sutaev — an "honored member of the special military operation," combat training instructor for occupiers and trainer for the FSB and GRU — published a review recommending the Kilic MAK scope — MAKpro 5 for combat conditions. The price of one such scope on the open market is approximately €3,208 at the manufacturer's recommended retail price.
Who Profits in Moscow
The main Russian distributor is the Moscow company "Center for Electronic Commerce" (CEC). After the start of the full-scale invasion, the company's business surged: in 2023, CEC's profit amounted to 1.9 billion rubles — over $22 million. The invasion became a growth point for it.
Two Hubs — Two Functions
The Insider documents a clear division of logistics: China handles mass supply of standard components, while Turkey specializes in precision and expensive equipment. Besides optics, micrometers and measuring equipment for the Alabuga special economic zone pass through it — an enterprise where Russia manufactures Geran strike drones.
Turkey is not an exception among neutral countries. In 2024, several Turkish firms — including Belluga Trading, ETASIS, IDA Elevator and LSS Global — were added to US sanctions lists for supplying machine tools, heavy industrial equipment and logistics services to Russia.
- Azint Elektronik — was sanctioned by the US for supplying integrated circuits to Russia.
- Smart Techno Group — was sanctioned for sending tantalum capacitors — a small but critical component for military electronics.
- Yagmur global dis ticaret — registered in Ankara, an intermediary between Kilic Feintechnik and Moscow's CEC.
Why Berlin Remains Silent
The company switched to a Turkish intermediary after direct shipments became problematic due to sanctions. Many such intermediary firms were founded very recently — this emphasizes how quickly new operators can be created to meet Russian demand. Kilic Feintechnik did not respond to journalists' inquiries.
The question that remains open: will the EU impose targeted sanctions against the manufacturer itself — Kilic Feintechnik GmbH — if customs documents are already publicly available and the scheme has been documented by two independent publications?
