Putin and Kim Showcase Their Alliance with Aurus Limousine
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made headlines as they drove around Pyongyang in a Russian-made Aurus limousine, symbolizing their strengthened anti-Western alliance. The luxury sedan, unveiled in 2018, was meant to highlight Russia’s domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduced dependence on imported technology. However, recent customs records reveal that the company responsible for building the Aurus limousine relies heavily on imported parts, many of which come from South Korea, a country Kim has described as his country’s “primary foe.”
These imports shed light on Russia’s ongoing reliance on Western technology, despite its efforts to navigate Western attempts to cut it off from global supply chains due to its invasion of Ukraine. Between 2018 and 2023, Russia imported equipment and components worth at least $34 million for assembling Aurus cars and motorcycles. Notably, the imports included car body parts, sensors, programmable controllers, switches, welding equipment, and other components totaling almost $15.5 million from South Korea. Additionally, parts were imported from China, India, Turkey, Italy, and other EU countries.
Surprisingly, foreign supplies for the Aurus vehicles continued even after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since February 2022, goods worth almost $16 million, including $5 million produced in South Korea, were imported. It remains unclear which specific foreign parts ended up in the car gifted to Kim. Nevertheless, it is essential to note that these imports did not violate any sanctions, despite Aurus LLC being sanctioned by the United States in February 2024.
The creation of the Aurus sedan was a collaborative effort between the Russian state-owned research institute NAMI and Russian carmaker Sollers. However, Sollers has since sold its stake in the project. Aurus Motors, the current manufacturer of the luxury cars, and its CEO, Andrey Pankov, declined to comment on the use of foreign parts, including those from South Korea.
Regarding the suppliers involved in the production of Aurus vehicles, South Korean firms played a significant role. Companies such as Kyungki Industrial Co, BYT CO LTD, and Enertech International Inc were among the largest suppliers to Aurus. Additionally, Italian plastic parts producer Industrie Ilpea Spa and Hong Kong-based Rain Electronics also provided goods for the manufacturing process.
Kyungki Industrial Co. had supplied equipment to Aurus LLC in 2020 and 2021. On the other hand, Rain Electronics could not be reached for comment, and a physical visit to their Hong Kong office yielded no evidence of the company’s presence.
The Aurus Senat, styled after the Soviet-era ZIL limousine, serves as Russia’s official presidential car. Putin himself has used this vehicle during his presidential inaugurations in 2018 and 2024. Notably, Putin has gifted Kim two Aurus cars, showcasing his passion for automobiles. The first gift was presented during Kim’s visit to Russia in February, followed by a slightly different model gifted in North Korea in June.
As for pricing, Aurus cars come in four different models, including an SUV and an armored version, with prices starting from 46.625 million roubles ($528,356). One of Aurus’s notable customers is Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov.
While Aurus sold 107 cars in Russia in 2023, the production numbers remain undisclosed. This suggests that Aurus is a niche luxury brand with limited visibility in the market.
In conclusion, the recent revelations about the use of imported parts in Russian-made Aurus vehicles raise questions about Russia’s claims of reduced reliance on Western technology. It seems that, despite attempts to navigate around Western sanctions, Russia’s domestic production capacity remains limited. These findings emphasize the complex nature of global supply chains and the challenges countries face in disentangling themselves from dependence on foreign technology and components.
