Switzerland will no longer approve war materiel exports of a German dealer who sent several Swiss-made armoured vehicles to Ukraine.
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An investigation by the Swiss economics ministry found that the former managing director of a German arms dealership was in breach of conditions by sending 11 Mowag Eagle vehicles to Ukraine.
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Ukraine war is a windfall for Swiss arms industry
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The global rearmament effort in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is grist to the mill for Swiss arms companies.
Switzerland has repeatedly refused other countries permission to send Swiss-made weapons, ammunition and military vehicles to Ukraine as it would violate its neutrality.
The vehicles were part of a batch of 36 originally sold to Denmark in the 1990s, with 27 then moving to a German company in 2013 with the blessing of the Swiss authorities.
In 2018, the firm’s ex-managing director took possession of the vehicles. The German defence ministry allowed this dealer to re-export some vehicles to Ukraine once their armour plating had been removed.
Despite these modifications, Switzerland ruled on Wednesday that the company was in breach of Swiss regulations.
The Swiss authorities stated that the “exports of war material from Switzerland to the managing director in question…can no longer be approved because there is a high risk of it being passed on to an undesirable end recipient.”
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Swiss president defends ban on re-exporting war materiel
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Switzerland is not backing down from its ban on the transfer of war materiel, insisted Alain Berset during talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
‘We had necessary permits’, says German dealer behind Swiss tanks in Ukraine
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A German dealer behind the re-export of Swiss armoured vehicles spotted in Ukraine says they have been completely demilitarised.
Swiss investigate sighting of Swiss-built tank in Ukraine
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Pictures of one or two armoured vehicles apparently made by the Swiss manufacturer Mowag have appeared on the internet from the front in Ukraine.
Swiss arms group wants to sell 96 unused tanks to Germany
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German arms group Rheinmetall is interested in buying the vehicles in order to pass them on to Kyiv, a Ruag spokeswoman told SRF public radio on Thursday. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) confirmed to SRF that it had received the export request, but did not provide further information. Defense Minister Viola Amherd said in…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.