Alumina, refined in Ireland, is likely being used to bomb Ukraine. Those were the findings of a joint investigation by the Irish Times and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project back in March. But it's not doing so illegally. In fact, since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the plant was never asked to stop.
Alumina is a white powder taken from refining a sedimentary rock called bauxite. As its name indicates, it is used to make aluminium. The lightweight metal is used in weapon and ammunition manufacturing.
Limerick, Ireland, hosts Europe's largest alumina production centre, the Aughinish Alumina factory. In 2007, it was bought by Rusal, the world's second-largest aluminium company, placing it under Russian ownership.
The majority of Aughinish Alumina's sales have been going to Russia in recent years: From a fifth in 2020, to 68% in 2025, and up to 80% in the first quarter of 2026.
Less than 1% went to EU countries. The company itself disputes the 2026 numbers, saying they are the result of a “clerical error” (the corrected number would be 51%).
That surge is partly explained by aluminium producer Rusal losing access to its factory in Ukraine. Kyiv nationalised it in 2023 over its role in supplying the Russian military.
Still, the Irish government argues the alumina shipped to Russia could have civilian purposes – which could be true. But the investigation points to the opposite. Alumina is shipped to Russia and sold to ASK, a trader with tight ties to the Russian defence industry. ASK then sends it to over 100 companies – including sanctioned weapon manufacturers whose products are used in Ukraine.
So, why has the plant never been sanctioned?
Alumina occupies a grey zone in current EU sanction packages. While the EU bans imports of Russian aluminium, exporting alumina to Russia remains legal. That is partly due to alumina not being considered a dual-use product (which can have both civilian and military uses).
The Irish government also argued that sanctions could hurt the local economy, as well as the EU at large. In late May, Irish media reported that the new round of European sanctions wouldn't include alumina due to potential knock-on effects on European industry.
But it's not just who the factory sells to that poses issues. Its owner is also enough reason for sanction.
Rusal is owned by the Russian energy conglomerate EN+, founded in 2002 by Oleg Deripaska. An oligarch under international sanctions, Deripaska is a close associate of Putin. According to Russian media, he is among several tycoons who agreed to help shore up the war.
This is no news. In 2018, the US included EN+ in a list of Russian entities sanctioned for multiple reasons, including violence in Ukraine. In the end, sanctions were lifted on a number of conditions, one of them was that Deripaska's share in the company be reduced.
Fast-forward to today. Swedish authorities found that Deripaska still has a controlling share in EN+, which would make the conglomerate liable to European sanctions.
Ireland is now investigating the matter. The EU is also putting pressure on it to “get facts straight”. Dublin is set to take on the EU presidency in July. With aid to Ukraine one of the biggest priorities at the moment, the ambiguity would not be welcome.
Pictured: Vladimir Putin and Oleg Deripaska at the APEC Summit, November 2006.