Wester weapon components are still being supplied to Russia after full-scale invasion
Western-made components in the weapons used by Russia in the war against Ukraine and for committing war crimes are being supplied to the aggressor country for months after the full-scale invasion.
Source: International Partnership for Human Rights and the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) report
Details: Thus, dual-use, western-made components continued to reach Russia at the end of 2022. In particular, western-made components have been and continue to be used within weapons involved in suspected Russian war crimes.
Trade data revealed that three Western technology companies continued to export thousands of components worth millions of dollars to Russia in November 2022. Two of them produce dual-use components that Russia seeks to manufacture and repair for its military equipment, and one of them manufactures a type of specific component that the Russian military needs for navigation and targeting.
Trade data shows that components manufactured by Harting, Trimble, and TE Connectivity continue to be imported by Russia, either through official distributors for the companies or third countries such as Hong Kong and Türkiye.
The report concludes that four key Russian weapons and weapon systems used to carry out suspected war crimes, in particular strikes on residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and power plants, are, to varying degrees, reliant upon western-made components.
At the same time, existing regulations and enforcements aiming to cut Russia's access to western dual-use technology are not sufficient, as evidenced by the fact that exports to Russia from companies making components sought by the Kremlin continue.
The report's authors believe that policymakers and businesses need to recognise and publicly acknowledge the problem, review existing sanctions and export control measures, and improve end-user tracking.
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