Rustam Muminov, a dual citizen of Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom, actively supplies Russian arms factories and remains unsanctioned, according to British investigative reports. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, two factories in Uzbekistan have played a critical role in providing materials to support Russia’s military efforts, including the production of explosives. Trade data analysed by the company “Haron” reveals that Rustam Muminov’s factories, Fargona Kimyo Zavodi MChJ and Raw Materials Cellulose MChJ, supplied cellulose worth over $170 million to Russian ammunition manufacturers, defence contractors, and other military end users.
The role of Muminov’s Fargona Kimyo Zavodi MCHJ and Raw Materials Cellulose MCHJ
Both factories are linked to Rustam Muminov, a Russian national with deep ties to Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Muminov currently owns Fargona Kimyo Zavodi and previously owned Raw Materials Cellulose, though he transferred his shares in the latter to other parties in 2024.
The cellulose produced by these factories has been purchased by several major Russian military suppliers, including the state-owned Kazan State Gunpowder Plant, Perm Gunpowder Plant, and Tambov Gunpowder Plant — all of which were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2023 for their role in supporting Russia’s defence industrial base.
A Key Component in Military Production
Cellulose derived from cotton is a critical ingredient for the production of nitrocellulose, or “gun cotton,” an explosive compound essential for rockets, gunpowder, and various military applications. The chemical process for creating nitrocellulose involves treating cellulose with nitric and sulphuric acids, making it an indispensable material for weapon production and other industries involving explosives.
Rustam Muminov’s Business Empire
Muminov, who reportedly “controls about 85% of Uzbekistan’s cotton cellulose exports to Russia,” as stated in a PBS NewsHour report, has built a substantial business empire around these critical supplies. Uzbekistan, a major cotton producer, has been exporting to Russia since Soviet times, with Rustam Muminov becoming a dominant figure in this trade. Beyond Uzbekistan, his business interests extend to Europe, where he holds a stake in a venture capital firm, and to Russia, where he owns shares in the manufacturing sector.
The export of cellulose from Uzbekistan to Russia, facilitated by Muminov’s network, plays a vital role in sustaining Russia’s defence operations amidst ongoing international sanctions and trade restrictions. As Russia’s demand for materials like nitrocellulose persists, Uzbekistan’s factories remain key players in this increasingly complex geopolitical dynamic.
Rustam Muminov: A Brief Biography
Rustam Muminov was born on July 20, 1965, in Tashkent. He graduated from the Tashkent Automobile and Road Institute. From 1997 to 2012, he served as the director of the Turkish company Bursel Insaat, which constructed two major cotton processing plants and a textile-dyeing factory. Later, he worked as the deputy director for foreign economic relations at the state-owned TAPOiCh (Tashkent Aircraft Production Association).
According to Uzbek intelligence agencies, Muminov has close ties to pro-Russian organized crime groups in Uzbekistan and actively funded anti-government activities during the conflict between Kremlin-backed and nationalist-patriotic elites in the country.
