German firms implicated in rebuilding Russia-occupied Mariupol
The German television channel ARD has revealed that German companies are assisting Russians in rebuilding the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Journalists have uncovered compelling evidence, leaving no room for doubt. Mariupol was almost entirely destroyed and annexed by Russia in 2022 during the aggression against Ukraine.
The findings of German journalists have been supported by the Ukrainian website "Prawda" (Truth). The companies involved are Knauf and WKB Systems, which are responsible for rebuilding facilities in Mariupol. The main evidence includes photos and videos from Mariupol and the annual reports of the companies.
Journalists have acquired solid evidence. It demonstrates that bags of Knauf products can be found on the construction site. - "This is the same company that has publicly announced that it had used its building materials to construct residences for officials from the Russian Ministry of Defence," reports "Prawda".
The company's founder, Nikolaus Knauf, served as an honorary consul in Russia for over two decades. According to the Ukrainian "Prawda", he maintained this role even after the annexation of Crimea, and he has described sanctions against Russia as terrible. The German businessman has a long history of working in Russia and, as he has highlighted, employs thousands of people, thereby generating billions in revenue.
Another company profits in Russia
"Prawda" also reports that investigators have discovered concrete blocks with the inscription WKB Systems GmbH at many construction sites, all wrapped in distinctive green foil. This company specialises in equipping facilities for the production of concrete blocks.
The main shareholder of this company is Russian oligarch Viktor Budarin, who is not currently under sanctions. Journalists have found that, for several years, the company has been delivering complete mechanical systems for producing aerated concrete blocks from Germany to Russia and Budarin's second company - to rebuild Mariupol.
Remember, Mariupol has been under Russian occupation since May 2022. Before the war, it was one of Ukraine's largest cities, with a population of over 400,000. The city's destruction level is staggering, with damage reaching even 90 percent. The Russians have plans to rebuild the city as their own and make it a symbol of their victorious invasion of their neighbour.
