Kharon recently published a brief on the connection between two Uzbekistan cellulose factories and Russia’s military operations.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, two factories in Uzbekistan have played a critical role in supplying materials to support Russia’s military efforts, including its production of explosives.
According to trade data reviewed by Kharon, the plants—Fargona Kimyo Zavodi MCHJ and Raw Materials Cellulose MCHJ—have supplied more than $170 million worth of cellulose to Russian munitions factories, defense contractors, and other military end users.
The cellulose produced by these factories has been purchased by several major Russian military suppliers, including the state-owned Kazan Federal State Gunpowder Plant, Perm Powder Plant, and Tambov Powder Plant—each of which was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2023 for its role in supporting Russia’s defense industrial base.
