Equipment set for Russia was still supplied by JCB ‘in a small number of cases’, after claiming to have stopped exports after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Guardian says Staffordshire-headquartered digger maker JCB, owned by the billionaire Bamford family, continued to supply equipment months after March 2, when the group stated it had “voluntarily paused exports” to Russia.

Custom records revealed millions of pounds worth of vehicles appear to have still been exported to companies in Russia months after that date.

Now, in a statement issued to City AM, JCB says that “in a small number of cases” products were collected by a third party company JVM after the invasion.

It added that “any such collection was pursuant to contractual obligations already entered into and completed or substantially completed prior to that date”.

The company also said that “to suggest otherwise is completely false”.

A JCB spokesman said: “JCB has done exactly what it said it was going to do on the 2 March 2022; that was to voluntarily pause all of its operations in Russia including the export of machines and spare parts.

“Since then, it has completely withdrawn from Russia, including shutting down its small assembly facility in Moscow resulting in many long standing and loyal colleagues in Russia being made redundant.

“All of JCB’s concerted efforts have been to support its complete withdrawal from the Russian market.

“In a small number of cases as identified in the Guardian article, JCB products were collected by a third party company after 2 March 2022.

“Any such collection was pursuant to contractual obligations already entered into and completed or substantially completed prior to that date. To suggest otherwise is completely false.”