Wall Street Journal: Russia has doubled imports of nitrocellulose - a key ingredient for artillery ammunition - since 2021, using firms from the US, Germany, Taiwan and Turkey to circumvent sanctions.

In 2021, Russia imported 3.5 million pounds of nitrocellulose, and from 2023 - already 6.7 million.

Nitrocellulose is a scarce component that ammunition manufacturers are chasing. Its prices have skyrocketed, a problem compounded by the fact that only a few countries can produce it due to international trade restrictions.

Russia itself produces little nitrocellulose; it imports the main volumes from abroad. And these imports played a key role in its ability to produce artillery ammunition.

China has increased supplies of nitrocellulose to Russia. But among the companies whose products end up in Russia, there are companies from the USA, Germany and Taiwan. And one small intermediary from Turkey, Noy İç Ve Diş Ti̇caret, has provided 40% of Russian nitrocellulose imports since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia officially imports nitrocellulose for its civilian chemical industry - it is actually used in inks, paints and varnishes. But until 2022, only 1% of Russian imports of nitrocellulose passed through Turkey, and now it has reached 40%, despite the fact that the volume of imports itself has doubled.

German subsidiaries of New York-based International Flavors & Fragrances, German Hagedorn-NC and Taiwanese TNC Industrial have been observed supplying nitrocellulose through Turkey.

These supplies of nitrocellulose to Russia are being carried out in conditions where European defense companies themselves are experiencing a shortage of the component for the production of ammunition for Ukraine. For example, Poland has invested in restarting its own nitrocellulose production amid global shortages.

The American Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has begun work to limit Russia's access to Western nitrocellulose.