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The Chinese company Jiangsu Feiya Chemical Industry, a manufacturer of diphenylamine and its derivatives, supplied Russia with massive amounts of this critical gunpowder component in 2024.
Among the buyers were St. Petersburg-based Forsadis LLC (ООО «Форсадис»), which made its purchases directly from the manufacturer, and Bashkortostan-based Intell LLC (ООО «Интелл»), which imported the product via a Chinese intermediary. According to official procurement records, both Forsadis and Intell took part in a 2021 tender to supply diphenylamine to the Tambov Gunpowder Plant — Russia’s largest producer of propellants for small arms and artillery ammunition. These same companies also imported diphenylamine from China in 2023, suggesting they may have been acting in the interest of other defense industry enterprises.
Diphenylamine is a key component in modern pyroxylin-based gunpowder, preventing powder from self-decomposition while preserving its ballistic properties. Chemicals such as diphenylamine are known as powder stabilizers.
In total, over 280 tonnes of diphenylamine from Jiangsu Feiya Chemical Industry were imported into Russia in 2024, compared to more than 150 metric in 2023. In 2022, Russia imported 172 metric tons, 150 of which came from Jiangsu Feiya. That year, Intell and Forsadis again appeared among the listed buyers.
Given that diphenylamine is typically added at 1-1.5% by weight to explosive mixtures, the volume imported in 2024 would be sufficient to produce 20,000 to 30,000 metric tons of gunpowder. This estimate excludes small batches of high-purity diphenylamine for lab use and diphenylamine-based lubricant additives.
The Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich has estimated that the Russian military consumes approximately 50,000 metric tons of nitrocellulose-based explosives annually, which includes pyroxylin gunpowder.
While diphenylamine does have civilian uses — its derivatives are used as antioxidants in rubber and for preserving cut flowers. Diphenylamine is also found in additives for lubricants and in the post-harvest treatment of apples and pears. However, there has been no reported growth in Russia’s markets for cut flowers, apples, or pears in 2024.
The Insider has reached out to Jiangsu Feiya Chemical Industry for comment.