From Belarus to the PMR: Romania Exposes Dual Use Materials Supply Scheme

At the Romanian border, customs officers detained a shipment of Belarusian fiberglass fabric that can be used in military production, including for the manufacture of drones.

According to the local publication Ziaruldeiasi, ten trucks arrived from Belarus and were heading to a factory in Tiraspol, a city controlled by the so-called “Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic” (PMR).

The cargo was destined for Moldavizolit plant and was transported by order of the Czech company Labara SRO.

The fiberglass fabric being transported has a dual purpose – civilian and military. In the military sphere, it can be used to manufacture drone bodies and other equipment.

Customs officers were alerted to the country of origin of the goods – Belarus, which is under international sanctions for supporting Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

The documents studied by journalists show that Moldavizolit is linked to companies on the sanctions lists of the EU and other countries.

According to Europa Liberă Moldova, until 2022, Moldavizolit, its Russian subsidiary and a plant in the Sverdlovsk region had dozens of contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

These contracts were for the supply of products to the Russian defense industry.

The main products manufactured by the plant are plastic materials used in the production of printed circuit boards.

According to the sources, the addition of copper conductors to such materials turns them into a key component for electronics, from household appliances and computers to aircraft and missile weapons.

The Romanian side is currently investigating whether this transit violates international sanctions restrictions and export controls.

In July, it was reported that Russian special services had set up mercenary training camps in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare participants for a coup d’état in Moldova.