Kim Jong Un with a new sniper rifle, April 2025. Photo: KCNA
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In early April, photographs emerged on social media showing North Korean military exercises. Among the new equipment displayed to the press was a sniper rifle handled by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Both military experts and Reddit users noted the striking resemblance between the rifle and the Austrian-made Steyr Mannlicher SSG 08. Features such as a folding stock with an adjustable cheek rest, the shape of the receiver and magazine, and other distinctive details led observers to conclude that North Korea’s special forces may have received either genuine Austrian-made rifles — or an exact replica.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
The Steyr Mannlicher SSG 08 sniper rifle.
A possible indication that these rifles are indeed Austrian and that Russia may have facilitated their transfer is the timing of the exercises — just two weeks after Russia’s former Defense Minister (and now its Security Council Secretary) Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea. The Russian defense-focused website TopWar directly stated that Austrian rifles had entered service with the Korean People’s Army.
Steyr Mannlicher in Russia
The guns were officially adopted by the Russian military in 2011, with airborne reconnaissance units receiving around two dozen Steyr Mannlicher rifles. The success of their use led to high-level talks in 2013 over the localization of Steyr production in Russia. Participants in that negotiation included Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of Russia’s sprawling state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, Vladimir Artyakov, Chairman of the Russian-Austrian Business Council, and Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. In September 2013, Rostec and Steyr Mannlicher signed an agreement to produce firearms in the city of Izhevsk — the birthplace of Russia’s AK-47. The joint venture, however, ground to a halt after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the subsequent EU arms embargo.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
Vladimir Putin with a Steyr Mannlicher SBS 96 Rifle (.300 Win. Mag. caliber).
Coinciding with the start of imports in 2010, the Russian company “Steyr Mannlicher LLC” was established. The Austrian holding Steyr Mannlicher Holding GmbH owned 75% of the firm, while the remaining 25% belonged to businessman Dmitry Startsev. Though the joint venture was dissolved in 2014, another of Startsev’s companies, Arsenal Weapons Salon LLC (ООО Оружейный Салон «Арсенал»), continued to receive Austrian arms.
Despite the EU arms embargo, Arsenal purchased Steyr Mannlicher rifles directly from the manufacturer until 2018, importing 19,838 kg of weapons over the course of the partnership. Even after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, indirect shipments persisted. According to Russia’s accreditation data, from February 2022 to February 2024, Arsenal submitted documentation for importing 63 Steyr Arms rifles. At the time of publication, the Arsenal website listed several dozen Steyr Mannlicher models as available for purchase.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
Serial numbers of 15 Steyr Mannlicher rifles and 15 additional barrels, registered by Arsenal LLC on March 13, 2023.
On March 29, 2022, another company, Hunter-Ru LLC (ООО «Хантер-Ру»), received 20 SSG 08 rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. The owner and director of the firm is entrepreneur Vladimir Shchigorets. Customs records show that the logistical intermediary for this shipment was the Cypriot firm Constantinides Philippos Trading Co Ltd, which UK authorities previously suspected of supplying shipments to North Korea. Another Russian importer, Test-Oruzhie (ООО «Тест-Оружие»), linked to arms dealer Mikhail Khubutia, received 65 Steyr A2 MF 9mm pistols in July 2023.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
A sniper from Russia’s 31st Air Assault Brigade with a Steyr SSG 08 rifle during the assault on Hostomel Airport outside Kyiv on February 24, 2022.
Austrian rifles have been in use by Russian forces from the outset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In May 2024, The Insider published a list of five military units whose snipers use the SSG 08: the 3rd and 14th Guards Special Forces Brigades (GRU), the 31st Air Assault Brigade, the 37th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, and the 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet. Beyond the regular army, these rifles have been spotted with Wagner Group operatives in Ukraine, Libya, and Syria; the “Sparta” unit in the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”); and Federal Protective Service (FSO) snipers stationed on the walls of the Kremlin in Moscow.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
Steyr Mannlicher rifles used by snipers of Russia’s Pacific Fleet 155th Naval Infantry Brigade.
How European weapons reach Russia despite the embargo
A large share of firearms shipments to Russia goes unrecorded in international customs data. This may be due to the involvement of Russia’s Customs Union partners — Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan — where trade flows are exempt from standard customs procedures. Nevertheless, The Insider has managed to trace several links from these supply chains.
Some arms shipments to Russia pass through Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952. One of Test-Oruzhie’s business partners is the Turkish company Rec Dis Ticaret Ltd Sti. On April 1, 2023, this firm delivered 100 units of Turkish-made smoothbore hunting rifles to Russia at a total cost of $33,170.
While Turkey has not imposed an arms embargo on Russia, Turkish involvement in smuggling European rifles and pistols may breach EU sanctions. On Jan. 12, 2023, for example, Hunter-Ru received 10 Spanish Beretta Benelli Iberica carbines and 15 Portuguese Browning Viana SA carbines from Turkish firm Duzce Silah Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd.St.
More general data on firearms exports — focusing not on specific companies but on exporting and receiving countries — can be found in the UN Comtrade database. This database contains anonymized customs information that omits the country of origin, listing only the country dispatching the goods and the country receiving them. For example, if an Austrian weapons manufacturer sells rifles to country X, which then forwards them to Russia, Comtrade will record the shipment as originating from X and ending in Russia. But even this anonymized data reveals statistical anomalies.
One such case involves Tajikistan, which in recent years became one of the world’s largest recorded buyers of Austrian rifles, importing over 3,000 units in 2021 and approximately 2,000 in subsequent years. However, no publicly available sources indicate the existence of retail outlets in Tajikistan selling Steyr Mannlicher or other Austrian rifles. Kyrgyzstan represents another anomaly, going from zero Austrian rifles imported in 2021 to 748 units in 2023.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
The most striking surge in rifle imports, however, came from Italy. Between 2021 and 2023, Italian importers increased their purchases from 382 to 4,452 units.
This spike is unlikely to suggest a sudden hunting boom in Italy. More plausibly, it indicates the subsequent re-export of the guns. As Austrian exports to Italy grew, Italian companies simultaneously ramped up sales to Russia’s Customs Union partners and their neighboring countries. For example, shipments from Italy to Georgia rose from 157 rifles in 2021 to 798 in 2023. Kyrgyzstan, which reported zero imports in 2021, jumped to 4,434 rifles by 2023 and only slightly slowed down in 2024.
One recipient of these rifles in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek was the firearms distributor Iron Corps LLC (ОсОО «Айрон Корпс»). On Nov. 2, 2023, the company obtained a certificate of conformity for Steyr SSG M1 rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
In Kazakhstan, Steyr Arms is distributed by the company Anna LLP. A joint investigation by The Insider, Investigace.cz, and Kazakhstan’s Vlast.kz revealed that Anna has been involved in supplying Western-made ammunition to Russia. On April 5, 2024, the company purchased 838.6 kg of rifle ammunition — in .30-06 Springfield and .308 Winchester calibers — from the Czech manufacturer Sellier & Bellot Jsc, at a cost of $29,571. Four months later, on Aug. 28, 2024, Anna obtained a special permit (No. 203749) for transporting hazardous goods classified under UN categories 1, 6, and 7. The cargo, listed as cartridges, casings, and primers, was destined for 30 Staro-Petergofsky Prospekt, Building 1, in St. Petersburg — the location of the “Alliance” gun shop, which still lists Czech ammunition for sale on its website.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283
Sellier & Bellot cartridges listed for sale on Alliance’s website.
Alongside the sharp rise in exports to Customs Union countries, Austria and Italy have simultaneously cut back weapons shipments to Ukraine since the full-scale war began. Italy’s exports to Ukraine dropped from 3,360 rifles in 2021 to just 408 in 2022. Austria, maintaining its neutrality, halted rifle exports to Ukraine entirely.
German scopes in North Korea
Photos of Kim Jong Un taken during the recent drills show a high-power German Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45×56 scope mounted on what appears to be an Austrian rifle. This type of scope is a military-grade optic designed for extreme precision over long distances, built with durability far beyond the requirements of civilian hunting. These same optics have also been observed in use by Russian forces mounted on Steyr Mannlicher SSG 08 rifles.
Despite the embargo on optics exports to Russia, Schmidt & Bender optics are readily available on a range of Russian online marketplaces. Retailers such as Dmitry Startsev’s “Arsenal,” as well as 30-06.ru, Mil-Dot, Optics Pro, raffa.ru, Sheldy.ru, and TopOptics, list these scopes for sale. Russian importers appear to face few obstacles acquiring them — some even offer discounts. For example, Spectr Optic promotes savings of up to 20,000 rubles (close to $250) on scopes made by both Schmidt & Bender and Kahles.
The Insider has been reporting on the large-scale smuggling of European and American weapons into Russia since February 2024. In February 2025, U.S. and Kyrgyz intelligence services arrested members of a criminal group trafficking American-made weapons to Moscow. This stands in stark contrast to the inaction of European law enforcement. Although serial numbers of more than 15,000 European-made weapons delivered to Russia since the war began are publicly available, The Insider is unaware of a single arrest by EU authorities aimed at curbing arms smuggling to Russia.
From Tehran to Pyongyang
This is not the first time Steyr Mannlicher’s products have ended up in the hands of the adversaries of democratic states. In 2005, the company faced U.S. sanctions for violating the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. That year, the Iranian police acquired 800 HS .50 sniper rifles — a powerful anti-materiel weapon designed to disable vehicles and armored equipment, not just personnel. Although the sale was approved by the Austrian government, it triggered deep concern in Washington. The U.S. responded by banning Steyr Mannlicher from receiving federal contracts and restricted the company’s access to sensitive American technologies for two years.
The arms acquired by Iran were later used by its Defense Industries Organization (DIO) to develop the AM-50 sniper rifle — a near-copy of the HS .50. Since then, the rifle has been used by the Syrian army, Yemeni rebels, and Hamas militants.
Customs declaration 10005030/220222/3096957
Located at 34746, Istanbul, Barbaros Mah.Dereboy Cad. Feslegen Sk, A.1b Block
Customs declaration 10005030/010423/3082073
Customs declaration 10005030/100123/3004380
Located at Duzce, Aziziye Mah. D 100 Karayolu Cad. No:571
Individual Entrepreneur Astafyev Valery Valeryevich, TIN (INN) 772510565502
Individual Entrepreneur Alekhin Alexander Vladimirovich, TIN (INN) 772500865200
Individual Entrepreneur A. Yu. Komarov, TIN (INN) 772500904202
Individual Entrepreneur Omelayeva Alina Sergeevna, TIN (INN) 502719307310
LLC «Sheldy» (ООО «Шелди»), TIN (INN) 7726675493
LLC «Optical Systems» (ООО «Оптические системы»), INN 9709049316
TIN (INN) 6732163283