Russia imported nearly $2 billion worth of war chips last year, most made in U.S. and EU
Moscow imported more than $1 billion worth of advanced U.S. and European chips last year, despite restrictions aimed at preventing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s military from obtaining technology to fuel its war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported Jan. 25, citing classified Russian customs data.
More than half of the semiconductors and integrated circuits imported in the first nine months of 2023 were made by U.S. and European companies. They included Intel Corp, Advanced Micro Devices and Analog Devices Inc, as well as European brands Infineon Technologies AG, STMicroelectronics NV and NXP Semiconductors NV.
During the first nine months of 2023, Moscow imported $1.7 billion worth of chips, with $1.2 billion sourced from 20 companies. Additional contributions from smaller manufacturers, likely from Europe and the U.S., accounted for the remaining $500 million, according to Bloomberg.
Notably, the data doesn’t reveal violations of sanctions laws or provide information on the origin, shipping routes, or manufacturing dates of the technologies. The implicated companies asserted full compliance with sanctions, stating they ceased business in Russia when the war began and implemented monitoring processes.
The majority of restricted technology enters Russia through re-exports from third countries like China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Efforts by the U.S. and EU to block these routes, particularly targeting high-priority dual-use and advanced goods present in Russian weaponry, are ongoing.
As the second anniversary of the war approaches, the EU plans additional sanctions against Russia, focusing on expanding the asset freeze and travel ban list for individuals and businesses, the Financial Times reported on Jan. 24.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, emphasized the need for the West to intensify efforts in strangling Russia’s ability to produce weapons in a tweet on Jan. 19.
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