The Czech-Austrian industrial conglomerate Hennlich continues its operations in Russia through a local subsidiary, LLC Hennlich (ООО «Хеннлих»), which maintains business ties with Russian defense manufacturers, including companies under European Union and U.S. sanctions. A joint investigation by The Insider and Czech outlet Investigace.cz reveals the ownership structure of LLC Hennlich and how the company supports Russia’s military-industrial complex during the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Hennlich’s European and Russian Operations
Founded in 1922 by Hermann A. Hennlich in Duchcov, Czech Republic, Hennlich Group is a private industrial firm producing technical components and solutions across various sectors. The group employs approximately 800 people across 18 European countries, with its headquarters in Schärding, Austria.
In Russia, Hennlich operates through LLC Hennlich, based in Tver. According to Russia’s Unified State Register of Legal Entities, the subsidiary’s founders are Austria’s Hennlich Group GmbH (45%), Czech co-owner Pavel Šumera (45%), and Hennlich s.r.o. employee Jan Studnička (10%). LLC Hennlich also maintains branches in Kemerovo and Yekaterinburg and employed 57 people as of the end of 2024.
Financial data shows LLC Hennlich’s revenue remained relatively stable despite the war: 405.5 million rubles ($5.12 million) in 2022, 463.3 million rubles ($5.85 million) in 2023, and 379.8 million rubles ($4.79 million) in 2024. The subsidiary owns a production facility in Tver but primarily generates income by reselling imported components. In 2023, only 37.7 million rubles came from its own products, compared to 425.6 million rubles from trading goods made by other firms. Evidence suggests the company plans to continue its Russian presence, signing three new vehicle lease contracts in 2023-2024.
The financial ties with European owners remain active. In 2023, dividends were paid to LLC Hennlich shareholders: Pavel Šumera received 3.29 million rubles, Hennlich Group GmbH 3.11 million rubles, and Jan Studnička 732,000 rubles. Additionally, Hermann Zebisch, owner of Hennlich Group GmbH, received €24,000 in loan repayments plus €4,401 in interest from the subsidiary.
Supplying Russia’s Defense Industry Despite Sanctions
While EU sanctions target European entities and do not directly apply to Russian companies like LLC Hennlich, Czech and Austrian nationals Šumera, Studnička, and Zebisch are legally barred from engaging with sanctioned individuals and firms. Nonetheless, the Russian subsidiary continues to serve military enterprises.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, LLC Hennlich had already secured over 20 government contracts. In 2015, it signed a contract with the N.L. Dukhov All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Automation (VNIIA), a Rosatom subsidiary linked to nuclear weapons development. In 2016, it supplied machine bellows to NITI Progress, connected to 19 defense factories and involved in missile and firearms systems development.
The company also partnered with sanctioned firms such as Uralvagonzavod, a major tank manufacturer under U.S. and UK sanctions since 2014, with a €34,170 contract signed in 2018.
Since the 2022 invasion, LLC Hennlich has supplied imported parts to at least four defense enterprises listed on EU, U.S., and UK sanction lists, including:
- Ivanovo Heavy Machine Tool Plant, a key aerospace and defense supplier
- UEC-Saturn, a producer of gas turbine engines for aircraft
- Kolomna Plant, a naval diesel engine manufacturer
- Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical Works, producer of aviation semi-finished products
In July 2024, LLC Hennlich also signed a contract with NPO Iskra, a sanctioned manufacturer of solid-fuel rocket engines used by Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces.
Exports to Russia and Sanctions Violations
Hennlich s.r.o. responded to Investigace claims that in 2022, Russian management was banned from military projects and that no European Hennlich entity exports products to Russia or is involved in Iskra contracts. However, Russian procurement records, company financial reports, and customs data contradict these assertions.
For example, in January 2025, LLC Hennlich obtained Russian certification for a cooler with an AC motor manufactured by Hennlich Cooling-Technologies GmbH, requiring extensive documentation verified by both Russian and European authorities.
Between March 2022 and December 2024, LLC Hennlich received 583 product shipments worth $2.9 million, including many goods banned by EU export controls. Key categories include industrial rubber products and dual-use mechanical seals, both subject to EU sanctions introduced in 2022 and 2023.
These violations risk sanctions breaches not only for the European owners but also their suppliers. The largest foreign trading partner of LLC Hennlich is Germany’s M & V Export und Logistik GmbH, which supplied $942,200 worth of goods.
Hennlich Group also directly serves Russian clients beyond LLCHennlich. From March 2022 to December 2024, Kemerovo’s Arvesmining received 12 shipments of products from Hennlich s.r.o., valued at $83,400, initially shipped directly by the Czech company and later through a Turkish intermediary.
Profiting Amid Conflict
While the Russian operation remains stable, Hennlich’s Ukrainian branch, TOV Hennlich Ukraina, owned by some of the same beneficiaries, has experienced significant growth. Its revenue increased from 62 million hryvnias ($1.49 million) in 2022 to 98 million hryvnias ($2.35 million) in 2024.
Through ongoing supplies of machines, components, and raw materials, Russian military plants maintain operations despite the war. Investigations into these supply chains by The Insider continue as the conflict endures.
Related topics: