Bangladesh, Aug. 15 -- Ireland is facing growing scrutiny over exports of alumina from the countrys Aughinish refinery to Russia after an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and its media partners raised questions about whether the material could ultimately be entering supply chains connected to Russian defense manufacturers.

The controversy centers on Aughinish Alumina, Europes largest alumina refinery, located in County Limerick and owned by Russian aluminum giant Rusal. Investigators found that since 2023, much of the refinerys alumina exports had been sent to Russian aluminum smelters owned by Rusal. While reporters could not establish that a particular shipment from Ireland was ultimately in...