The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested a man accused of sending electronic components to Russia that were subsequently found on Russian weapons.
The Ukrainian companies involved are located in the country’s Kharkiv, Chernivtsi and Odesa regions and formed part of “a large international corporation” based in Russia, according to a Monday press release from the SBU.
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The SBU did not specify the names of the companies in the press release, nor how many companies were involved.
The goods in question include microchips and electronic components “used in the navigation and control systems of ballistic and cruise missiles such as the Kh-101, Kalibr, and Iskander-K,” the press release says.
“Some of these boards are also used for guidance systems for kamikaze drones, Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems, and onboard navigation for the Ka-52 attack reconnaissance helicopter,” it adds.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), maintains a database of foreign components found on Russian weapons, which includes three Ukrainian-made components to date.
The SBU said Russia’s use of “Ukrainian microchips and circuit boards” was confirmed upon examining the remains of destroyed Russian weapons.
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The SBU said the goods were routed through the Middle East to bypass sanctions, with end-users being Russia’s strategic state-owned enterprises such as “SpetsTechMash.”
“To successfully implement their plan, they, replacing the end consumer of the products, bought products in Ukraine and other countries, sent them to a controlled company in the Middle East, which is under international sanctions, and from there to a Russian company, which is also under Western sanctions,” the press release states.
SpetsTechMash’s website says it is involved in radar and communication production, among other things.
The SBU said the profits in the summer of 2022 through the scheme amounted to $600,000, which involved more than 1,500 electronic components.
It said one Ukrainian man with a Russian passport was arrested as part of the investigation, with preparations underway to arrest other Ukrainians involved in the scheme.
The man arrested faces 12 years in prison with confiscation of property if convicted.
Kyiv Post has published a Sanctions Busting series in recent months, reviewing how Russia evades sanctions to wage its war against Ukraine through Western nations such as Poland and Germany.
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