Russia buys back components of arms sold to India and Myanmar – media

Russia is suspected of buying back military supplies sent to Myanmar and India earlier, specifically the parts for tanks and missiles.

Source: Japanese media outlet Nikkei

Details: Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US, European countries and Japan have banned the export of those goods, which can be used for military purposes, to Russia.

Yet, countries with longstanding military ties to Russia can help it re-import the components needed to improve old armament intended to be used in Ukraine.

The Nikkei agency has analysed the customs clearance information about the import of supplies to Russia that was provided by American research company ImportGenius, Indian Exim Trade Data and other sources studying reports about Russia’s import of weapon parts.

This research unearthed reports about Russia buying tank and missile parts previously exported to Myanmar and India.

For instance, the Russian Machine-Building Design Bureau (NPK KBM, as it is known in Russia), which is in charge of missile production, purchased a total of six components for night-vision sight for ground-to-air missiles, worth US$150,000, from the Indian Ministry of Defence in August and November 2022. 

The parts, needed to ensure missiles can perform at night and in low light, were manufactured by the KBM, which exported the same type of parts to India in February 2013.

"Russia may have reimported the parts for repairs, but there were no records of the items being sent back to India as of the end of March this year," Nikkei wrote, but neither the KBM nor the Indian ministry responded to its request for comment.

And on 9 December 2022, UralVagonZavod, a Russian plant for production of tanks for the Russian army, imported military produce from the Myanmar army worth US$24 million. The components were registered as those produced at UralVagonZavod.

The codes of the Harmonised System for re-imported goods show that the company has re-bought 6,775 sighting telescopes and 200 tank cameras. 

These are "likely optical devices for measuring distance to targets and further aiming," stated Nobuyuki Akatani, retired senior officer of the Japanese ground self-defence forces, who has participated in the manufacturing of tanks.

Customs clearance data referred to those products as being "imported under reclamation act". Nikkei writes that UralVagonZavod exported military products to the Myanmar army in 2019, and suggests that the reference indicates the returned items were defective.

Military analysts told Nikkei that any defective products should have been replaced when discovered in an inspection at the time of import, and said that the quantity of returned products was "unusual" for a warranty return.

Nikkei asked UralVagonZavod, the Russian government and the Defense Ministry of Myanmar's military regime to provide details on the Russian company's repurchase of military products, but received no reply. The Russian Machine-Building Design Bureau and the Indian Defence Ministry did not answer the request for comment either.

The 2023 Military Balance, published by the UK International Institute for Strategic Research, indicates that Russia has nearly 5,000 tanks in service. 

"Russia has a lot of old T-72s [tanks] in storage that are in need of modernization and could be sent to the front line afterwards," said Oleg Ignatov, a Russian analyst with the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank.

He added that "optics is a big problem for the Russian military-industrial complex" and said it was plausible that Russia was trying to get optics this way.

Russia previously relied on Western technology to produce optical equipment, and trade sanctions are now making it difficult for Russia to procure the components it needs.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia is the world’s third-largest exporter of weapons, with India being its most important customer, accounting for 35% of Russia’s overseas arms shipments over the past 10 years.

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