A Russian court on Monday delayed the hearing of a lawsuit filed by German giant Siemens against a Russian state firm over the transfer of power turbines to Crimea in violation of EU sanctions.

Siemens lodged the suit against Technopromexport, a subsidiary of state conglomerate Rostec, in July after it emerged that four power turbines it sent to a power plant in Russia ended up in the Crimea region, annexed by the Kremlin from Ukraine in 2014.

The transfer of the equipment to the Black Sea peninsula contravened tough European Union sanctions slapped on the region after Moscow's takeover.

Siemens insists it was not aware that the turbines would be diverted and says the Russian company breached contract conditions by sending them to Crimea.

At the request of Technopromexport the preliminary hearings set for Monday were postponed until October 16, an AFP journalist reported from court.

Russian authorities, who need the turbines for two power plants personally promised to Crimea by Vladimir Putin, have insisted that they made it to Crimea legally.

In response to the turbine dispute, the EU expanded its sanctions against Russian officials and companies. Moscow slammed these new punitive measures as "hostile" and politically motivated.

Source: AFP