The Munich I Public Prosecutor’s Office and German customs investigators accuse the company of deliberately delivering machine tools to Russia, in violation of European Union sanctions imposed in response to the war against Ukraine.
Investigation Targets Spinner: Millions of Euros Worth of Precision Machinery Under Scrutiny
On the morning of Wednesday, July 30, investigators from the Munich I Public Prosecutor’s Office and customs authorities raided Spinner’s headquarters in Sauerlach. According to official reports, more than 140 officers and eight prosecutors were involved in the operation. Simultaneous searches took place at additional locations in Stuttgart and Bulgaria.
The accusations are serious: Authorities allege that Spinner exported more than 20 high-precision machine tools to Russia, with a total sales value of around 5.5 million euros, deliberately bypassing EU export bans that have been in force since early 2023. Under EU law, these machines are classified as dual-use goods, meaning they can be used for both civilian purposes and the manufacturing of weapons components, such as fighter jet parts or ammunition.
The Trail Leads Through Uzbekistan and Belarus to Russia
The investigation has been ongoing since February 2025. It was triggered by a shipment in August 2023, which, according to export documents, was routed from Germany through Poland and Belarus to Uzbekistan. However, investigators believe that the machinery ultimately ended up with a Russian company that had previous business ties with Spinner. Additional deliveries are suspected to have passed through third countries, including Turkey and China. Prosecutors say there is concrete evidence pointing to systematic sanction evasion.
Spinner Denies Involvement – But Questions Remain
Spinner has not yet issued a public statement regarding the current allegations. However, the company faced similar accusations back in 2023. At the time, Spinner published a firm declaration on its website, denying any business dealings with Russia or Belarus.
That statement read:
“We strongly condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and fully support the international sanctions against Russia and Belarus. Spinner Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik GmbH strictly complies with all export control regulations. We do not sell or deliver machines, directly or indirectly, to the affected countries.”
Nevertheless, Spinner also acknowledged the difficulty in monitoring the global used machinery market, which is estimated to involve around 10,000 machines worldwide. The company pledged that, if it were proven that third parties violated sanctions using Spinner products, it would immediately halt customer service and spare parts support for the affected machines.
Whether the current case involves deliberate sanction violations by Spinner itself or manipulated supply chains by third parties remains unclear and is now the focus of the ongoing investigation.
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