European Defence Compromised by TNT Exports to Gaza Conflict
A shocking revelation has emerged from the Polish parliament, where MP Maciej Konieczny has exposed how Europe's monopoly TNT supplier is prioritising American contracts for bombs used in Gaza over European and Ukrainian defence needs.
The Polish company Nitro-Chem, owned by the state-controlled Polish Armaments Group, produces between 10,000 and 12,000 tonnes of TNT annually. However, approximately half of this output is contracted to the United States until at least 2029.
Defence Shortages and Strategic Concerns
Konieczny, representing the leftwing Razem party, warned that this export arrangement has created severe shortages. "Our current reserves of TNT would only be enough for armed activities for a month in the event of a war," he stated during parliamentary proceedings last Friday.
The situation has become so critical that Poland lacks sufficient TNT to provide artillery shells for Ukraine's defence against Russian aggression. The MP demanded a full explanation about "whether Gaza is being put ahead of the defence of Europe" and whether this represents a demand made by America upon the Polish government.
The exported Polish explosive is allegedly used by the US to manufacture several types of ammunition, including:
- The 2,000lb MK-84 bombs
- The 550lb BLU-109 penetrating bombs
- Both types have been extensively used in Gaza according to reports
Documented Impact in Gaza
A comprehensive report compiled by Palestinian non-governmental organisations provides disturbing context. The investigation by the People's Embargo for Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Shadow World Investigations and the Movement Research Unit concludes that "without Polish-made TNT, the unprecedented scale and intensity of the aerial bombardment that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed living conditions in the Gaza Strip would not have been possible."
Their research tracked American weapons transfers to Israel, revealing that between October 2023 and July 2024, the US supplied Israel with at least 14,000 MK-84 bombs and 8,700 MK-82 bombs. Although President Biden temporarily paused some larger bomb shipments in May 2024, these restrictions were immediately lifted when Donald Trump assumed office.
Contract Details and International Ramifications
The scale of the exports became clearer in April 2025 when Nitro-Chem signed a substantial new contract worth $310 million with Paramount Enterprises Ltd, a private defence logistics specialist. This agreement commits the Polish company to deliver 18,000 tonnes of TNT to the United States between 2027 and 2029.
Notably, Poland's deputy defence minister Cezary Tomczyk attended the signing ceremony, indicating official awareness and approval of the arrangement.
The United States currently faces its own production challenges, having no domestic TNT manufacturing capability. The shortage has become so acute that the US government has authorised construction of a new factory in Kentucky to address the deficit.
Konieczny summarised the moral and strategic dilemma: "Polish TNT is exported entirely abroad and the bombs produced from it fall on the heads of innocent civilians in Gaza and Yemen. Meanwhile due to this diversion of the factory's output, Poland has no ready means to produce its own necessary ammunition."
Nitro-Chem has responded to these allegations by emphasising that the company "conducts its operations in accordance with applicable national and international law and all regulations relevant to the arms industry." They maintain that state institutions provide constant supervision of their activities.
The situation highlights broader geopolitical tensions, particularly given that Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, one of Israel's most vocal critics accusing the country of genocide in Gaza, now indirectly connects to the supply chain through a Turkish subsidiary that recently took over General Dynamics' Garland Operations facility near Dallas.
