MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Russia delivered turbines produced by Siemens to Crimea despite EU sanctions that forbid EU companies to supply the region with energy technology. Crimea reportedly needed turbines for two new power plants under construction aiming to ensure a stable power supply to the region. Then, Siemens spokesman Michael Friedrich told Sputnik that the company did not supply Crimea with electricity turbines in circumvention of EU sanctions, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that turbines being installed at power plants in Crimea were made in Russia from Russian components.
"Siemens has received information from reliable sources that at least two of the four turbines delivered for the project in Taman were transferred to Crimea against the company’s will," the company said.
Siemens added that this situation was a violation of the contracts with Siemens, which prohibited its customers to deliver Siemens-produced equipment to Crimea.
"Over the past several months, our client has repeatedly confirmed to us that the supply to Crimea will not happen… Siemens will file lawsuits on termination of any additional supplies to Crimea and on returning the already sent equipment back to its original destination – Taman [locality in southern Russia]. Alternatively, Siemens will insist on the termination of the deal," the company added.
Siemens has also expanded its investigation over the turbines, and now it is being carried out with regard to all Russian partners of the German conglomerate. Siemens wants to guarantee that its equipment will not be shipped to Crimea bypassing sanctions and that no services regarding this equipment's exploitation in the region will be offered, including by Interautomatika company. Interautomatika has already confirmed to Siemens the observance of these restrictions.
On Saturday, the media reported that ZAO Interautomatika company partially owned by Germany's Siemens had been hired to participate in installation of gas turbines in Crimea.
Following Crimea's reunification with Russia as a result of a referendum in 2014, the European Union introduced rounds of political and economic sanctions against Russia, restricting in particular the flows of EU produced goods and investments to the peninsula. In June 2017, the European Union extended the sanctions for another six months.
