Rolls-Royce explained the stoppage of work with BelAZ

The automobile company Rolls-Royce refused to supply engines to the Belarusian Automobile Plant due to sanctions imposed by the European Union after the situation with the landing of the Ryanair plane in MINSK. This was announced to RBC by the DIRECTOR of external communications and brand of the company, Richard Ray.

“The EU imposed sanctions on BelAZ on June 21, 2021. As a result of these sanctions, we have terminated all business relations with BelAZ,” Ray said.

He also noted that the engines that Rolls-Royce supplied to BelAZ are manufactured in Germany.

The Rolls-Royce Group spokesman declined to comment on a possible loss of profits after such a decision for commercial reasons.

On June 30, the Belarusian trade union in the UK announced that the Rolls-Royce Group had stopped all operations with BelAZ through its German subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, as well as companies wholly or partly owned by the plant. The company informed the trade union about this after a complaint about the violation of the rights of workers at the Belarusian plant. Rolls-Royce Group supplied 16-cylinder diesel engines for BelAZ-75710 mining dump trucks.

The European Union imposed sanctions against Belarusian companies after a Ryanair plane landed in Minsk due to reports of mining. Roman Protasevich, ex-editor-in-chief of the Nexta TELEGRAM channel, and Russian Sofya Sapega were on board the plane. After landing at the Minsk airport, Protasevich and Sapega were detained, he is accused of organizing unsanctioned rallies in Belarus in the summer of 2020, Sapega is accused of inciting social hatred and discord, she is also a suspect in the case of organizing actions grossly violating public order.

On June 25, Protasevich and Sapieha were placed under house arrest.