Hans Wrage response
...Hans Wrage & Co. GmbH does not supply weapons or ammunition to Russia or Belarus, either directly or in circumvention of national or international regulations.
It is wrong to give the impression that the Managing Director of Hans Wrage & Co. GmbH, Frauke Löhmann, met high-ranking executives of the defense sector such as the president, the deputy prime minister and the defense minister on September 23, 2013. She has been there, but has neither met nor seen the gentlemen mentioned nor heard of their presence.
Furthermore it is false as far as the article pretends that Hans Wrage company is still selling Izhevsk hunting rifles/shotguns (Baikal) and Barnaul cartridges worldwide. Hans Wrage has not only complied with the embargo regulations, but has already decided not to make use of existing export and import licenses ahead of time due to political developments in Russia and Ukraine.
It is also false that Frauke Löhmann owns 15.96% of Rusimpex. In fact, she owns 15%. It is not possible to terminate, sell, return or liquidate company shares. Rather, there is simply no longer any contact.
As far as the article pretends that weapons and ammunition were still delivered to Russia immediately before the outbreak of the war, a false impression is created here...
The Anschütz small-bore rifles and the Krieghoff shotguns were delivered in autumn 2021, the remaining quantity could only be completed at the beginning of January 2022.
The aforementioned RWS small-bore cartridges were already ordered in autumn 2021 and were delivered on 11 January 2022.
All exports were made on the basis of valid export licenses. Thereafter, Hans Wrage did not make use of any further export licences by returning these to the issuing authority, although further deliveries could have been done on the basis of these valid licenses...
It is also a false statement as far as the author pretends that after the beginning of the war Rusimpex company imported, among other things, cartridges of military caliber and that the import should have been done by Hans Wrage & Co. GmbH. Neither weapons nor ammunition have been delivered to Russia since January 2022...
Frauke Löhmann resolutely rejects the pretension that she as well as Beretta Holding have violated the sanctions of the US State Department. She has no business contacts with Eduard Ioffe whatsoever.
Another false pretension is that the Hans Wrage company continues to actively cooperate with Russian purchasers by direct deliveries of arms and ammunition. Since this is false, there cannot exist any customs data either.
In fact, a few bags and hunting boots were delivered in summer/autumn 2022 in accordance with international regulations...
Hans Wrage continues to supply a Kazakh importer on the basis of legal regulations and export licenses. It is pretended that weapons are being forwarded from Kazakhstan to Russia. This is wrong and was proven by the expert statement of Mr. Lars Winkelsdorf, to whom including his research team the false allegations were referred to. The false allegation has been refuted.
It is true, however, that Kazakh arms shops were looted within the unrest in January 2022. Whether and to what extent individual pieces of this unique event may have reached third countries is, of course, beyond our knowledge.
In this context, however, it is certain that not a single weapon that was delivery by Wrage & Co. GmbH to Kazakhstan appeared in Russia being identified by serial number...
The further allegations concerning the possibilities of diversion to Russia are refuted by the expert statement of the journalist Lars Winkelsdorf.
As far as the article pretends that Barnaul company is in possession of a German Blaser R8 Long Range GRS .338 Lapua Magnum, it is refuted that this was delivered to them by Hans Wrage company.
Prior to the publication of said article, Hans Wrage was, contrary to ruling press law and common press practice, not invited to give their comments beforehand. This constitutes a significant violation of law, so that it cannot be assumed that this is a reputable medium that should be treated with local press law requirements.