Ukraine brands Italian cement producer “war sponsor” over doing business in Russia

That’s according to the NAPC press service, Ukrinform reports.

"NAPC included Buzzi Unicem on the list of international sponsors of war due to the fact that, despite their statement on the refusal of any operational participation in Russian business, Buzzi Russia continues to expand its business in the Russian Federation," the statement reads.

The company is now one of the five leaders of Russia’s cement industry, having the largest average capacity of a cement plant in the group. For the period from 2016 to 2021, the Russian unit of Buzzi Unicem paid EUR 62 million worth of taxes and other mandatory fees to the Russian budget.

"For comparison, this is the cost of 206 Tochka U missiles." These are exactly the missiles with which Russia struck the railway station in Kramatorsk on April 8, 2022," the statement reads.

Also, Buzzi Russia cooperates with the Russian defense ministry and supplies its products to the largest state-run enterprises, such as Rosneft, whose management is close to President Putin and has been sanctioned, as well as Rosatom, which has been involved in threatening the world with a potential nuclear incident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, seized by the Russian forces.

According to available reports, the company expresses across social networks in Russia its gratitude to its employees drafted for war. Thus, its SLK Cement subsidiary sent supplies to the Russian artillery unit, where Buzzi employees serve.

“Thus, Buzzi Unicem's continued business in Russia means direct support and sponsorship of terrorism in Russia,” the statement reads.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in February, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption included France’s Auchan in the list of international sponsors of war.