Russia bypasses sanctions to import Western weapons technologies

Russia is importing chips used in the development of weapons through third countries, bypassing Western sanctions.

Source: The New York Times

Quote from the NYT: "Late last month, American and European Union officials traded information on millions of dollars’ worth of banned technology that was slipping through the cracks of their defenses and into Russian territory."

Details: Senior tax and trade officials noted a surge in chips and other electronic components being sold to Russia through Armenia, Kazakhstan and other countries.

They shared information on the flow of eight particularly sensitive categories of chips and other electronic devices that they have deemed as critical to the development of weapons, including Russian cruise missiles that have struck Ukraine.

The NYT said that the US and its allies "have been fighting a parallel battle to keep the chips needed for weapons systems, drones and tanks out of Russian hands".

But denying Russia access to chips has been a challenge, even though Russia’s ability to manufacture weaponry has been diminished because of Western sanctions.

The NYT said the result is "devastating": "As the United States and the European Union rally to furnish Ukrainians with weapons to keep fighting against Russia, their own technology is being used by Russia to fight back."

Direct sales of chips to Russia from the US and its allies have plummeted to zero. US officials say Russia has already blown through much of its supply of its most accurate weapons and has been forced to substitute lower-quality or counterfeit parts that make its weaponry less accurate.

But trade data shows that other countries have stepped in to provide Russia with some of what it needs.

After dropping off sharply immediately after the Ukrainian invasion, Russia’s chip imports crept back up, particularly from China. Imports between October and January were 50% or more of median prewar levels each month, according to tracking by Silverado Policy Accelerator, a think tank.

"So far, the Russian military appears to have been relying on a large stockpile of electronics and weaponry it accumulated before the invasion. But that supply may be drying up, making it more urgent for Russia to obtain new shipments," the NYT reported.

A report issued by Conflict Armament Research, an independent group that examines Russian weaponry recovered from the battlefield, revealed the first known example of Russia’s making weapons with chips manufactured after the invasion began.

A US Bureau of Industry and Security document said that in 2022, Armenia imported 515% more chips and processors from the US and 212% more from the EU than in 2021. Armenia then exported 97% of those same products to Russia, the document said.

Biden administration officials say shipments to Russia and Belarus of the electronic equipment fell 41% between 2021 and 2022, as the US and its allies expanded their restrictions globally.

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