German prosecutors and customs investigators have raided the premises of a machine tool manufacturer near Munich. The company is suspected of supplying more than 20 high-precision machines worth approximately €5.5 million to Russia in violation of European Union sanctions. Three company employees have been formally charged. Raids were also carried out in Baden-Württemberg and Bulgaria.
According to an investigation by Süddeutsche Zeitung, the company in question is Spinner, based in Sauerlach, a town just outside Munich. Spinner manufactures machine tools at various sites, including near Stuttgart, as well as in Bulgaria and Turkey.
In connection with the investigation, a Spinner machine subject to export restrictions was confiscated in mid-February 2025. Export documents indicated that the machine was supposed to leave Germany in August 2023, traveling through Poland and Belarus on its way to Uzbekistan. Investigators suspect the machine was in fact delivered to a Russian company affiliated with the manufacturer. There is also evidence of additional deliveries through Turkey and China.
The Munich prosecutor’s office cited a detailed report that aired in late April on the TV channel Arte, which traced the export of a Spinner machine to Russia via third countries — allegedly with the use of falsified documents. In the Arte report, one of the company’s three managing directors, Nikolaus Spinner, denied the allegations, claiming the machine had been sold to an Uzbek agricultural equipment manufacturer. However, a manager at the Uzbek company told reporters by phone that no such purchase had taken place.
[…]
As someone in the space (a career machinist) this is interesting. Spinner doesn’t make remarkable machines. They are pretty bog standard work horses from my experience. You’d also need to get all of the bells and whistles to hit the needed €275,000 average per machine at that rate. My guess is that this was the best new equipment that they could feasibly obtain.
As another commenter pointed out, why would a company that averages making about 1,000 machines per year risk everything over 20? They are small fry in this space, and these dealings could easily damage the company beyond repair. Something definitely seems weird about this.
1,000 machines per year risk everything over 20? They are small fry in this space, and these dealings could easily damage the company beyond repair.
I could definitely see how they might be cash-strapped, so they need every bit, and that they didn’t see the risk as substantial, given that such enforcement has been rare in the past.
To be honest, companies tend to break the law by default if you don’t make them fear it. Google and Facebook do illegal shit all the time, and they usually just get slaps on the wrist.
I wonder if they really have ideological ties or if they’re just stupid af
Yes, they have an ideology that they follow. It is called “making money”.
Or greedy.
But for like 5.5m €, turnover? That still seems really stupid taking that risk
They are not that big - cursory search shows that would be around 8-10% of their gross revenue.
Yep, i agree. If it would have been 5.5 m per machine it would perhaps be a little different, still the damages in brand reputation is also not to be scoffed at.
risk
Europe is rather lenient on enforcing its sanctions, so I suppose Spinner assessed the risk as negligible.
Well this proves otherwise
Proves is a too strong word but the step is made in the correct direction.
maybe they haven’t clocked that if machine manufacturer is in uzbekistan and cargo transits russia then it’ll get disappeared in russia and uzbek order was faked
fwiw sanctioned cargo transit through russia/belarus is banned too for exactly this reason
Nice!
