Financial Times: Wagner-linked company acquired tens of thousands of protective helmets from China late last year

Journalists of the Financial Times found out that the Russian company Broker Expert acquired tens of thousands of protective helmets from China in November-December 2022. 

They published their investigation on the publication's website.

"Broker Expert bought 20,000 polymer-based helmets from a Chinese company called Hangzhou Shinerain Import And Export Co. However, the manufacturer claims that they are intended for "gaming use". 

The purchase was split over four shipments for a declared value of just over $2mn.

According to its Alibaba page, Hangzhou Shinerain is located in the eastern province of Zhejiang and has between five and 15 employees. It usually sells women's clothing.

Broker Expert also shipped items to Wagner operations in Africa through the port of Douala in Cameroon.

According to Russian customs declarations, Broker Expert sent power generators, welding electrodes and fireproof insulation materials to a Prigozhin-controlled logging company in the Central African Republic last August.

Earlier, journalists found out that despite the sanctions, Russia purchased microchips and equipment worth $900,000 from European countries.