Russian weapons manufacturers hosted at Saudi trade event

theguardian.com:

Seven sanctioned Russian companies, including a manufacturer of military helicopters deployed in the war in Ukraine, are visiting Saudi Arabia next week as part of a trade mission to increase business with the Gulf state.

Companies including weapons manufacturers with direct links to the Russian military, state corporations involved in the invasion of Ukraine, and the agency overseeing a Ukrainian nuclear plant in the country seized by the Russian military last year, are set to attend.

Saudi Arabia’s willingness to develop business ties with Russian companies sanctioned by western states for their role in the invasion of Ukraine is likely to cause further tensions in its already strained relationship with Washington.

The Russian deputy industry and trade minister, Alexey Gruzdev, praised the trade event as the first of its kind. “Our business mission to Riyadh is aimed to strengthen the economic ties between Russia and Saudi Arabia, discover new business opportunities, exchange ideas and establish long-term partnership,” he said.

Companies integral to the Russian military industrial sector are listed as attendees at the event in Riyadh on Monday. They include Russian Helicopters, the manufacturer of the Ka-52 Alligator helicopter. At least35 Ka-52s have been shot down by Ukrainian forces or abandoned by Russia, according to the Dutch open-source outlet Oryx.

Kamaz, an armoured vehicle manufacturer sanctioned for its role in aiding Russia’s war effort, is also listed as attending. Its trucks were spotted in Belarus in March 2022 carrying Iskander missiles that were allegedly launched in the early days of the invasion, and its Typhoon vehicles have also been reported transporting Russian soldiers across Ukrainian territory.

Perh