Shipments from an Irish metals refinery to Russian smelters have increased since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, raising questions about the European Union’s ability to prevent strategic materials from reaching Russian arms manufacturers, leaked records suggest.
Alumina Exports to Russia Increase
Trading records show that Aughinish Alumina, located on the Shannon estuary in Ireland and owned by Russian aluminium group Rusal since 2006, has seen a sharp rise in shipments to Russian smelters following the invasion of Ukraine. Ireland exported $243 million (£180m) of alumina to Russia in 2022, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), a data analytics website. This figure rose by 55% to $376 million in 2024.
Aughinish is Ireland’s only producer of alumina and the largest producer of the main raw material for making aluminium in Europe, according to a 2021 report by the accounting group KPMG.
While the rising trade does not appear to breach sanctions law and is traceable through publicly available shipping records, analysis of leaked data – shared with international media groups including the Guardian and the Irish Times – raises concerns about the effectiveness of EU sanctions.
Government Reassurances Questioned
The findings appear to contradict previous statements from the Irish government. In 2022, then public expenditure minister of state, Patrick O’Donovan, told the country’s parliament that the plant “is not in any way connected to a war machine.”
Representatives for Aughinish did not comment when asked by the Guardian and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) how the facility ensures its products have not contributed to Russian assaults on Ukraine. O’Donovan also did not comment.
Prof Aristides Matopoulos, a defence supply chains specialist from Cranfield University, explained that defence supply chains are complex and cross-border, creating gaps that can undermine sanctions. “Every node in the chain could appear fully compliant while still enabling strategic materials to reach sanctioned end users,” he said.
Rusal’s shipments of alumina between its sites in Ireland and Russia are currently legal, as the EU has not placed sanctions on the commodity itself, despite its wide military applications. Approximately a quarter of Rusal’s shares are indirectly owned by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian metals tycoon who is under sanctions by the UK, EU, and US.
Company Response
A spokesperson for Aughinish stated the company operates in strict compliance with all applicable EU laws, including sanctions and export control measures. They added that the company upholds a strong commitment to lawful and responsible business practices and continuously monitors regulatory developments.
The Aughinish refinery was built in the 1970s and acquired by Rusal in 2006. The facility employs about 900 staff and supplies roughly 30% of the EU’s alumina, used in various industries from medical devices to mobile phones.
Analysis suggests that almost 500,000 tonnes of alumina, worth about $200 million, was exported from Aughinish to Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in 2024. This accounted for around two-thirds of the aluminium oxide imported into Russia by that Rusal smelter that year. The quantities shipped appear to satisfy about 25% of the Siberian facility’s annual aluminium output of 1 million tonnes.
Aluminium produced at Krasnoyarsk was then sold through Rusal’s trading firm to Aluminium Sales Company (ASK), with ASK reportedly paying Rusal about $300 million in 2024.
The data reveals apparent connections between ASK and Rusal, including shared addresses and loans from the aluminium group.
Links to Arms Manufacturers
ASK’s customers include dozens of arms companies under sanctions that produce missiles, explosives, and long-range bombers used in attacks on Ukraine. For example, the Sverdlov plant in Russia, a major manufacturer of explosives, appeared to be ASK’s largest client in 2024. The Sverdlov plant is Russia’s only significant maker of the high explosives RDX and HMX and was placed under EU sanctions in 2023.
In total, companies manufacturing weapons paid ASK $337 million for aluminium under Russian state defence contracts from February 2022 to April 2025, according to the leaked documents.
Spokespeople for ASK, Rusal, EN+, and Deripaska did not respond to requests for comment.
Aughinish’s spokesperson emphasized that alumina and aluminium are internationally recognized commodities with broad societal uses. A spokesperson for Ireland’s department of enterprise, tourism and employment stated that the Aughinish plant is not subject to EU sanctions and that Ireland remains supportive of Ukraine.
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