About 20 percent of nitrocellulose — a compound used in gunpowder — imported into Russia has been sourced from Taiwan, a joint British-Ukrainian investigative report showed.
Nitrocellulose is a key component of smokeless gunpowder, and the EU has banned export of the compound to Russia due to its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
The report said that nitrocellulose produced in Taiwan makes its way to Russia by passing through other countries such as Turkey. Only one company, T.N.C. Industrial Co (台硝), was named in the report, which also named China and Germany as key sources of the compound for Russia.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Before the war, EU countries such as Italy and the Netherlands were among the top 10 nitrocellulose suppliers to Russia, but have now stopped exporting the compound to Russia.
Between March 1, 2022, and Dec. 31 last year, 80 percent of Taiwan-made nitrocellulose that reached Russia had gone through a Turkish company called Noy Ic Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd Sti.
The report cited customs data from various countries and the UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database showing that Russia imported Taiwan-made nitrocellulose worth nearly US$5.43 million during this period. During the two-year period from 2019 to 2021, only about US$127,000 of Taiwan-made nitrocellulose was obtained by Russia. In 2022, the amount nearly doubled to about US$220,000, and then soared last year.
The report said that despite the increase, Taiwan-sourced nitrocellulose was still significantly less than that sourced from China, which reached US$160 million over the same period. However, prior to 2022 there were few records of China exporting nitrocellulose to Russia.
The investigation was carried out by the UK think tank Royal United Services Institute in cooperation with Ukraine’s Centre for Defense Strategies, and analyzed the channels of supply of raw materials for Russian ammunition production.
The report said that despite advances in defense technology, artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems still played the most important role in combat, with about 70 percent of battle losses on both sides attributed to artillery.
Although Russian officials have set a goal of producing 2 million rounds of artillery shells per year, this quantity would likely not meet the needs of the front line, and rapidly increasing domestic production capacity in the short term would be difficult, the report said. Affected by sanctions and transportation embargoes, Russia has had to step up its production of gunpowder and explosives, which require the import of raw materials, it said.
The report urged those selling raw materials used in ammunition to Russia to instead sell the materials to NATO countries to produce ammunition to aid Ukraine’s defense.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and