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🇦🇹 Austria /Conflict & Security

Irish aluminum lands in Russian weapons – and Oleg Deripaska is involved

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • An Irish aluminum refinery, majority-owned by sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska, has doubled its exports to Russia since the war began.
  • Despite government claims of no evidence of military use, contradictions have emerged regarding Deripaska's ownership stake and the destination of refined aluminum.
  • Refined aluminum from Ireland was sold to a Russian intermediary that supplies sanctioned defense companies, raising questions about EU sanctions compliance.

A majority-owned refinery in Ireland, linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, has significantly increased its aluminum exports to Russia since the start of the war. The Aughinish refinery in County Limerick has shipped more than double the raw material to Russia compared to pre-war levels. This material is processed by Rusal, a company largely owned by EN+ Group, which is majority-controlled by Deripaska, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

the strategy is functioning and daily we are working to strengthen it. Never one when one is a public servant can say 'that's it', until the last day of the term, 'I have done my part, it's up to the next one'.

— Claudia Sheinbaum PardoPresident Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stated that the federal government's security strategy is working and being strengthened, emphasizing that public servants must avoid complacency and continuously seek improvement.

Aluminum is a critical war material, used in the production of weapons ranging from small arms to drones and aircraft. The Irish government had pledged to investigate the matter. However, an official investigation report, partially published by The Irish Times, stated that authorities in Dublin found no evidence that Aughinish was producing material for the war. The report also noted a lack of evidence regarding Deripaska's exact ownership stake, claiming difficulties in obtaining this information from Swedish authorities where a similar refinery operates.

When you are in office, self-satisfaction is not allowed. We have to be our own biggest critics, because there is always room for improvement.

— Claudia Sheinbaum PardoPresident Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stressed the importance of avoiding complacency in public service and maintaining a critical self-assessment to drive continuous improvement in security strategies.

Further investigation by a group of journalists revealed that refined aluminum from Ireland, with about 50% supplied to Rusal since 2023, was subsequently sold to ASK, a Moscow-based intermediary. Evidence suggests sales of processed aluminum worth 557 million euros. ASK is a major supplier to Russian defense and arms corporations that are subject to EU sanctions. The Irish government's investigation appears to have been hampered by a lack of transparency, with Swedish authorities initially withholding ownership details that were later obtained by The Irish Times for a small fee, confirming Deripaska's 70% stake.

In the case of security, it is the same. Daily reviewing, but the strategy works and works, because it addresses the causes and also seeks zero impunity.

— Claudia Sheinbaum PardoPresident Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo explained that the security strategy is effective because it tackles the root causes of crime and aims for zero impunity, requiring daily review and adaptation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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