I was wondering where these T-90s came from. I think I got the answer.
I was wondering where these T-90s came from. I think I got the answer.
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comparing the feeds to illustrate root of my consternation originally:
"originally intended for export to" (however this was even determined) is not the same as "T-90S Bhishma tanks owned by the Indian Army".
i.e The clear difference in implication here.
Some twitter handles are just more credible than others (that sometimes are worse than a joke if you look at their feed history).
I tend to prefer to wait for things to materialise credibly outside of twitter to begin with.
Russia's Lancet kamikaze drone is equipped with an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 computer and an Xilinx Zynq chip
Ukrainian specialists have disassembled a previously captured Russian Lancet kamikaze drone. Activist Roman Kashchuk published photos of the drone's insides.
Here's What We Know
The hovering munition is equipped with American components. In particular, an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 single-board computer and a Xilinx Zynq chip. Note that Xilinx Adaptive, a developer and manufacturer of integrated circuits, is owned by US processor giant AMD.
Also seen in the photos the chip is developed by South Korean company SK Hynix. Many of the components used in the Russian company ZALA's barraging ammunition lack markings.
The Lancet was seized by the Ukrainian military after it failed to trigger and fell to the ground. Disassembly revealed that the kamikaze drone was equipped with a K3-6 shaped charge and an additional plastid charge located in the tail section.
Russia's Lancet kamikaze drone is equipped with an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 computer and an Xilinx Zynq chip
Ukrainian specialists have disassembled a previously captured Russian Lancet kamikaze drone. Activist Roman Kashchuk published photos of the drone's insides.
China imposes drone export curbs amid US tech tensions
China has announced export controls on some drones and drone-related equipment, saying it wants to safeguard “national security and interests” amid escalating tension with the United States over access to technology.
The restrictions on equipment announced on Monday, including some drone engines, lasers, communication equipment and anti-drone systems, would take effect on September 1, the commerce ministry said.
The controls would also affect some consumer drones, and no civilian drones could be exported for military purposes, a ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“China’s modest expansion of the scope of its drone control this time is an important measure to demonstrate our stance as a responsible major country, to implement global security initiatives, and maintain world peace,” the spokesperson said.
Authorities had notified relevant countries and regions, the spokesperson said.
China has a big drone manufacturing industry and exports to several markets including the US.
US lawmakers have said more than 50 percent of drones sold in the US are made by China-based company DJI, and they are the most popular drone used by public safety agencies.
Not for military conflicts
DJI said on Monday it always strictly complied with and enforced laws and regulations of the countries or regions in which it operates, including China’s export control regulatory requirements.“We have never designed and manufactured products and equipment for military use, nor have we ever marketed or sold our products for use in military conflicts or wars in any country,” the drone maker added.
A German retailer in March 2022 accused DJI of leaking data on Ukrainian military positions to Russia, which the company rejected as “utterly false”.
China’s commerce ministry said in April this year that Western media were spreading “unfounded accusations” that it was exporting drones to the battlefield in Ukraine, adding the reports were an attempt to “smear” Chinese firms and it would continue to strengthen export controls on drones.
The drone export curbs come after China announced export controls of some metals widely used in chipmaking last month, following moves by Washington to restrict China’s access to key technologies, such as chipmaking equipment.
Beijing on Friday defended its dealings with Russia as “normal economic and trade cooperation” after a US intelligence report released last week said Beijing possibly provided equipment used in Ukraine that might have military applications.
China imposes drone export curbs amid US tech tensions
Beijing says it wants to safeguard ‘national security and interests’ amid escalating tension with Washington.
China will either make its neutrality clear or officially side with the Russians.
China helping to arm Russia with helicopters, drones and metals
China is helping to arm Russia with helicopters, drones, optical sights and crucial metals used by the defence industry, a Telegraph investigation has found.
Russian firms – including sanctioned companies – involved in the production of missile launchers, armoured vehicles, and strategic bombers, have received tens of thousands of shipments from China since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began through the first quarter of this year.
It comes as China, which insists it remains neutral, is attempting to position itself as a key peace-broker in talks aimed at ending the conflict.
Trade between China and Russia is set to surpass $200 billion this year, a new record high, even as Chinese exports to other countries have fallen significantly.
Exports of goods with potential military uses rose by more than three times in the year which ended this June, compared to the one prior, according to analysis from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, a trade data visualiser.
Dual-use goods
Such goods are classified as dual-use, meaning they also have civilian purposes, allowing China to skirt international sanctions and claim that it conducts only legal trade with Russia. China’s support appears to be helping Russia weather sanctions, calling into question the effectiveness of a crucial part of the West’s campaign against Moscow aimed at crippling Russia’s economy.One Chinese company sent 1,000 drones to Russia in the two months before the war, according to figures compiled by Molfar Global, an open source research organisation. That firm, Shantou Honghu Plastics, describes itself as a wholesaler of children’s toys on its website and social media profiles.
The drones were sent to a Russian firm called Samson, which similarly describes itself as a wholesaler of games and toys and appears to be a shell company, stating only 10,000 rubles in capital to its name, according to a public company registry.
Then, four days after war broke out in Ukraine, Chinese company Hems999 supplied two helicopters. Another Chinese firm, Tianjin Huarong Aviation, has transferred four Airbus helicopters to Russia since the war began.
All were received by Russian firm Ural Helicopter, whose primary customer is the Russian National Guard, deployed to Ukraine and led by Viktor Zolotov, a longtime bodyguard to Putin.
Chinese firms have also sent optical sights to more than 50 Russian companies from the start of 2022 through the first quarter of this year. Imports of these products nearly doubled to $2.5 million last year, compared to the one prior.
Yiwu Wojie Optics Instrument accounted for the majority of optical sights – about 2,500 – furnished to Russian firm CEK, which has previously supplied such goods and night vision equipment to the Russian internal affairs ministry, according to data pulled by Molfar from 52wmb, a Chinese trade data aggregator.
Invoices state such equipment is for “hunting,” though the devices could be fitted to military weapons, and offer enhanced vision for military operations.
Russian imports of raw materials soar
Chinese exports of turbojets and radar missile navigation systems have also been sent via India and Costa Rica before being re-exported to Russia, according to Molfar research, in an apparent effort to evade sanctions.According to the trade data, Russia’s imports of raw materials and components vital for the manufacture of armaments have soared.
China exported $18 million of titanium alloy products to Russia in 2022, nearly double the year prior.
Lightweight and heat-resistant titanium alloys are a key material used to manufacture military aircraft and weapons.
Titanium plates and rods were shipped from China to NPP Start, a developer of air-defence missile launchers which is part of Russia’s Rostec defence conglomerate.
Titanium products have also been sent to S7 Technics, which performs aircraft maintenance and repair, and has done work for an organisation that oversees the air transport of Putin and other Kremlin officials.
S7 is also working to make aircraft spare parts so that Russian airlines can keep their fleets operational after sanctions cut off supplies of Western-made components for Airbus and Boeing planes.
Chinese companies also sent deliveries of magnesium alloys to Tupolev, which builds and helps maintain long-range bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-160M, which have been used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukraine.
Companies linked to the production of Kamaz vehicles – whose armoured carriers, like the Kamaz Typhoon, transport Russian troops and cargo – have received at least 520 shipments from China.
Goods included spare parts, welding machines and laser machine tools that can be used for manufacturing weapons and military equipment.
Steel was sent by China to Russian firms involved in the production of, or make engines for, Kamaz armoured vehicles. One of Russia’s largest firms, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works – which collaborates in making Kamaz vehicles – was amongst those receiving shipments, and has been sanctioned by the US and Ukraine.
Some of the Chinese firms, such as Wuxi Tianxing Steel and Xi’an Alpha Metal even have offices in Moscow or company websites in Russian, making little effort to hide their military links, splashing pictures of fighter jets and naval ships on their homepages.
Trade through back channels
China may also be supplying raw materials to Russia through back channels.Beijing and Moscow, have reportedly held secret talks with Iran to supply ammonium perchlorate, a chemical compound used to propel ballistic missiles – a deal, if agreed, that would likely be hidden from official trade registers.
Russia has not published trade data since the invasion began, though figures from China, its top trading partner, indicate that Beijing has become a crucial lifeline, even as Putin has become ostracised on the world stage, and both Western companies and countries have cut ties with Moscow.
Xi Jinping the Chinese leader, has met Putin several times, including in the weeks before war broke out, but only agreed to one hour-long phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, in April.
Beijing issued a 12-point “peace statement” earlier this year that rehashed its position and did not propose any solutions to ending the war.
China participated in a second round of peace talks in Saudi Arabia on August 6, after opting against attending the first round earlier this year. It still refuses to describe what is happening in Ukraine as an “invasion”.
None of the companies replied to The Telegraph’s requests for comment. Some, such as CEK, could not be reached.
China helping to arm Russia with helicopters, drones and metals
Russian firms have received tens of thousands of Chinese shipments since the war in Ukraine began
www.telegraph.co.uk
Iranian UAVs in Ukraine: A Visual Comparison
This product provides a visual comparison of UAVs used by Russian forces in Ukraine and Iranian UAVs used to attack U.S. and partner interests in the Middle East. Photos of UAV debris and components from Ukraine are consistent with systems showcased at military expos and other venues in the Middle East. This analysis confirms Russia’s use of various Iranian lethal UAVs in its war in Ukraine.
US. DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This product provides a visual comparison of UAVs used by Russian forces in Ukraine and Iranian UAVs used to attack U.S. and partner interests in the Middle East. Photos of UAV debris and components from Ukraine are consistent with systems showcased at military expos and other venues in the Middle East. This analysis confirms Russia’s use of various Iranian lethal UAVs in its war in Ukraine.
US. DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Kim Jong-un and Putin Plan to Meet in Russia to Discuss Weapons
Russia seeks more weaponry for its war in Ukraine, and a North Korean delegation recently traveled to Russia by train to plan for Mr. Kim’s visit this month, officials say.
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, according to American and allied officials.
In a rare foray from his country, Mr. Kim would travel from Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet with Mr. Putin, the officials said. Mr. Kim could possibly go to Moscow, though that is not certain.
Mr. Putin wants Mr. Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles, and Mr. Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Mr. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation.
Both leaders would be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is scheduled to run Sept. 10 to 13, according to the officials. Mr. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia’s Pacific fleet dock, they said. North Korea celebrates the anniversary of its founding on Sept. 9.
On Wednesday, the White House warned that Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim had exchanged letters discussing a possible arms deal, citing declassified intelligence. A White House spokesman, John F. Kirby, said high-level talks on military cooperation between the two nations were “actively advancing.” U.S. officials declined to give more details on the state of personal ties between the leaders, who are considered adversaries of the United States.
The new information about a planned meeting between them goes far beyond the previous warning. The intelligence relating to the plans has not been declassified or downgraded by the United States, and the officials describing it were not authorized to discuss it. They declined to provide details on how spy agencies had collected the information.
While the White House declined to discuss the new intelligence, Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement that Sergei K. Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, traveled to North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to try to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.
“As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing,” she said. “We have information that Kim Jong-un expects these discussions to continue, possibly to include high level diplomatic engagement in Russia.”
At other times since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials have released declassified intelligence to try to dissuade North Korea, China and other countries from supplying Russia with weapons. U.S. officials say White House warnings about planned transfers of North Korean artillery shells stopped previous cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
In late August, a delegation of about 20 North Korean officials, including some who oversee security protocols for the leadership, traveled by train from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, and then flew to Moscow, an indication that North Korea was serious about a visit by Mr. Kim. Their trip, believed to be a planning expedition, took about 10 days, according to officials briefed on the intelligence reports.
One potential stop for Mr. Kim after Vladivostok, an official said, is Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center that was the site of a meeting in April 2022 between Mr. Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a partner of Mr. Putin’s in the war in Ukraine. The center, whose first rocket launch took place in 2016, is about 950 miles north of Vladivostok.
The idea for the Russia visit came out of the trip by Mr. Shoigu to North Korea in July for Mr. Kim’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of the “victory” over South Korean and U.S. forces in the Korean War, officials said. (In reality, the three-year war halted in 1953 in a stalemate and armistice agreement, and the two Koreas are still officially at war.)
Mr. Kim took Mr. Shoigu to an exhibition of weaponry and military equipment that included ballistic missiles banned by the United Nations.
During the meeting, Mr. Kim presented Mr. Shoigu with options for greater military cooperation and asked for Mr. Putin to visit North Korea, officials said. Mr. Shoigu then made a counterproposal, suggesting that Mr. Kim travel to Russia.
Mr. Shoigu’s visit to North Korea was the first by a Russian defense minister since the fracturing of the Soviet Union in 1991. Mr. Shoigu presented Mr. Kim with a letter from Mr. Putin, according to the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, the country’s state news service.
The agency did not indicate that Mr. Kim had explicitly mentioned Ukraine in the conversations, but it said that he had “expressed his views on the issues of mutual concern in the struggle to safeguard the sovereignty, development and interests of the two countries from the highhanded and arbitrary practices of the imperialists and to realize international justice and peace.”
In June, Mr. Kim sent Mr. Putin a message on Russia’s national day in which he pledged to “hold hands” with the Russian leader and promised that the Russian people would have North Korea’s “full support and solidarity” for their “all-out struggle,” according to the KCNA.
“The strengthening of the Russia-North Korea alliance comes at an opportune time for two countries with very few allies and a shared adversary in the United States,” said Jean H. Lee, a recent senior fellow on the Koreas at the Wilson Center. “It’s the resurrection of a traditional alliance that serves the strategic interests of both Putin and Kim.”
A Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, also visited North Korea for its celebration, and Mr. Li handed Mr. Kim a letter from Xi Jinping, China’s leader, according to North Korean state media.
Mr. Kim often exchanges affectionate and sometimes downright effusive letters with foreign leaders whom he considers allies or potential partners. He and President Donald J. Trump exchanged a series of letters as they prepared for historic face-to-face summits.
For the second of those summits, held in February 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam, Mr. Kim traveled by armored train for two days from Pyongyang through China and across its tropical border with Vietnam. Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, both preferred to travel by train outside the country.
Mr. Kim first visited Russia in 2019, when he arrived in Vladivostok on his armored green train to meet with Mr. Putin. As the train pulled slowly into the station, white-gloved North Korean attendants raced alongside it, frantically wiping down any handholds and other surfaces that Mr. Kim might touch as he disembarked.
A beaming Mr. Kim stepped off in a black fedora and long black coat. He was received by an honor guard and brass band. Mr. Kim’s bodyguards jogged next to the black limousine that carried him through the city.
The United States first warned about cooperation between North Korea and Russia a year ago. Officials, citing declassified U.S. intelligence, said that Russia planned to buy artillery shells for use in Ukraine.
In subsequent disclosures, Mr. Kirby said North Korea had shipped munitions to Russia through the Middle East and North Africa.
But U.S. officials said that the disclosures had deterred North Korea and that few if any North Korean weapons had made it to the front lines in Ukraine.
Deterring support for Russia from North Korea, Iran and China is a critical element of the Biden administration’s strategy for helping Ukraine in its defense against Russia.
China, warned by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in February not to provide lethal aid, has supplied dual-use technology and components but has not yet sent drones or heavy weaponry to the Russian military, U.S. officials said.
Iran has supplied drones and is helping Russia build a drone factory. But U.S. officials believe their warnings have helped prod Iran to reconsider plans of providing ballistic missiles to Russia, at least so far.
Mr. Putin has characterized his war against Ukraine as one of protecting Russian sovereignty, since in his view Ukraine should be part of a restored Russian Empire.
Kim Jong-un and Putin Plan to Meet in Russia to Discuss Weapons (Published 2023)
Russia seeks more weaponry for its war in Ukraine, and a North Korean delegation recently traveled to Russia by train to plan for Mr. Kim’s visit this month, officials say.
Ukraine’s War of Drones Runs Into an Obstacle: China
Surrounded by rooms filled with stacks of cluster munitions and half-made thermobaric bombs, a soldier from Ukraine’s 92nd Mechanized Brigade recently worked on the final part of a deadly supply chain that stretches from China’s factories to a basement five miles from the front lines of the war with Russia.
This is where Ukrainian soldiers turn hobbyist drones into combat weapons. At a cluttered desk, the soldier attached a modified battery to a quadcopter so it could fly farther. Pilots would later zip tie a homemade shell to the bottom and crash the gadgets into Russian trenches and tanks, turning the drones into human-guided missiles.
The aerial vehicles have been so effective at combat that most of the drone rotors and airframes that filled the basement workshop would be gone by the end of the week. Finding new supplies has become a full-time job.
“At night we do bombing missions, and during the day we think about how to get new drones,” said Oles Maliarevych, 44, an officer in the 92nd Mechanized Brigade. “This is a constant quest.”
More than any conflict in human history, the fighting in Ukraine is a war of drones. That means a growing reliance on suppliers of the flying vehicles — specifically, China. While Iran and Turkey produce large, military-grade drones used by Russia and Ukraine, the cheap consumer drones that have become ubiquitous on the front line largely come from China, the world’s biggest maker of those devices.
That has given China a hidden influence in a war that is waged partly with consumer electronics. As Ukrainians have looked at all varieties of drones and reconstituted them to become weapons, they have had to find new ways to keep up their supplies and to continue innovating on the devices. Yet those efforts have faced more hurdles as Chinese suppliers have dialed back their sales, as new Chinese rules to restrict the export of drone components took effect on Sept. 1.
“We’re examining every possible way to export drones from China, because whatever one may say, they produce the most there,” said Mr. Maliarevych, who helps source drone supplies for his unit.
For the better part of a decade, Chinese companies such as DJI, EHang and Autel have churned out drones at an ever-increasing scale. They now produce millions of the aerial gadgets a year for amateur photographers, outdoor enthusiasts and professional videographers, far outpacing other countries. DJI, China’s biggest drone maker, has a more than 90 percent share of the global consumer drone market, according to DroneAnalyst, a research group.
Yet in recent months, Chinese companies have cut back sales of drones and components to Ukrainians, according to a New York Times analysis of trade data and interviews with more than a dozen Ukrainian drone makers, pilots and trainers. The Chinese firms still willing to sell often require buyers to use complicated networks of intermediaries, similar to those Russia has used to get around American and European export controls.
Some Ukrainians have been forced to beg, borrow and smuggle what’s needed to make up for the gadgets being blown out of the sky. Ukraine loses an estimated 10,000 drones a month, according to the Royal United Services Institute, a British security think tank. Many fear that China’s new rules restricting the sale of drone components could worsen Ukrainian supply chain woes heading into the winter.
These hurdles widen an advantage for Russia. Direct drone shipments by Chinese companies to Ukraine totaled just over $200,000 this year through June, according to trade data. In that same period, Russia received at least $14.5 million in direct drone shipments from Chinese trading companies. Ukraine still obtained millions in Chinese-made drones and components, but most came from European intermediaries, according to official Russian and Ukrainian customs data from a third-party provider.
Ukrainians are working overtime to build as many drones as possible for reconnaissance, to drop bombs, and to use as guided missiles. The country has also earmarked $1 billion for a program that supports bootstrapping drone start-ups and other drone acquisition efforts.
Ukrainian soldiers, forced to become electronic tinkerers from the first days of the war, now must be amateur supply chain managers, too. Mr. Maliarevych recounted how members of his unit recently scrounged to buy new antennas for reconnaissance drones to prevent Russian radio jamming. One friend, who lives in Boston, brought back two on a trip.
“We have to reinvent more and more complicated supply chains,” said Maria Berlinska, a longtime combat drone expert and the head of the Victory Drones project in Ukraine, which trains troops in the use of technology. “We have to convince Chinese factories to help us with components, because they are not happy to help us.”
Winning the war has become “a technological marathon,” she said.
Drone pilots from the Ukrainian military train to use the Kazhan rotary drone, which is loaded with plastic bottles filled with sand as weights.
The training took place in a field where the drones had space to soar and dive.
A war of innovation
On a hot morning in August, two dozen Ukrainian soldiers from four units trained on a new weapon of war: a repurposed agricultural drone known as “the bat.”Flying over a cornfield outside the eastern city of Dnipro, the devices dropped bottles filled with sand onto tarps that served as targets. The soldiers later returned to their units across the front with the drones, which carry 20-kilogram shells that can be aimed at tanks.
The hulking rotor-powered bombers were made by Reactive Drone, a Ukrainian company that owes its existence to Chinese industrial policy. The firm was founded in 2017 by Oleksii Kolesnyk and his friends after Chinese subsidies led to a glut of drone components being made there. Mr. Kolesnyk took advantage of that to source parts for his own agricultural drones, which he then sold to farmers who used them to spray pesticides in eastern Ukraine.
When the war began, everything changed. Mr. Kolesnyk, who was in Romania for business, rushed back to his hometown, Dnipro. Within days, he and his team repurposed their agricultural drones for battle.
A similar frenzy took place across Ukraine. Ingenuity born of necessity pushed many to repurpose consumer technology in life-or-death scenarios. Drones emerged as the ultimate asymmetric weapon, dropping bombs and offering bird’s-eye views of targets.
In the war’s first weeks, Ukrainian soldiers relied on the Mavic, a quadcopter produced by DJI. With its strong radio link and easy-to-use controls, the Mavic became as important and ubiquitous as the Starlink satellites made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which help soldiers communicate.
In April 2022, DJI said it would discontinue its business in Russia and Ukraine. The company shut its flagship stores in those countries, and halted most direct sales. Instead, volunteers backed by online fund-raisers brought in the copters by the thousands to Ukraine, often from Europe. Russia found new channels through friendly neighbors while continuing to receive the drones through Chinese exporters.
Russian and Ukrainian soldiers also began using non-drone DJI products, including one called AeroScope. An antenna-studded box, it can be set up on the ground to track drone locations by detecting the signals they send. The system’s more dangerous feature is its ability to find the pilots who remotely fly DJI drones.
A rush ensued to hack DJI’s software to disable the tracking feature. By the end of last year, a mix of software workarounds and hardware fixes, such as more powerful antennas, had mostly solved the problem.
“The efficiency of the AeroScopes is not the same as it was a year ago,” said Yurii Shchyhol, the head of Ukraine’s State Special Communications Service, responsible for cybersecurity.
DJI’s products continued to have a life-or-death impact on the front. Each time the company updated its software, pilots and engineers raced to break its security protections and modify it, sharing tips in group chats.
In an email, DJI said it has repeatedly notified its distributors that they were prohibited from selling products or parts to customers in Russia and Ukraine.
Now the biggest issue is the quantity of drones and production capacity. At Reactive Drone’s facility in Dnipro, where technicians work on drones for the front line, Mr. Kolesnyk said he was getting components from China for now because of personal connections with Chinese factories. He has hit just one major snag — when an online video of his drones caught the attention of the Chinese authorities and the company that made the camera he used publicly cut ties.
But Mr. Kolesnyk worried about the Chinese rule changes, which he said could make it harder to get the night-vision cameras needed for a new drone that would strike in the dark.
“Even when you see labels like America or Australia on a component, it’s still all manufactured in China,” he said. “To make something that could effectively replace China, it’s really close to impossible.”
A Ukrainian drone pilot, call sign Darwin, operates a first-person-view, or F.P.V., drone on a test flight near Kupiansk in Ukraine.
A 3D-printed bomb to be dropped from a drone, at a drone workshop in Kupiansk.
Making adjustments to drone components at the workshop in Kupiansk.
‘More like fishing than hunting’
As the war has stretched on, Ukrainian soldiers have worked to make cheap Chinese drones more deadly. One advancement that flooded the front this year: hobbyist racing drones strapped with bombs to act as human-guided missiles.Known as F.P.V.s, for first-person view — a reference to how the drones are remotely piloted with virtual-reality goggles — the devices have emerged as a cheap alternative to heavy-duty weapons. The machines and their components are sold by a small number of mostly Chinese companies like DJI, Autel and RushFPV.
In eastern Ukraine, soldiers from the 92nd Mechanized Brigade recently tested an F.P.V. In a field near their workshop, a 19-year-old former medical student in the unit, who goes by the call sign Darwin, leaned against a truck and slipped on virtual-reality goggles. Nearby, his spotter, call sign Avocado, flew a DJI Mavic high above to guide him.
“People wish us luck with hunting, but this is more like fishing than hunting,” Darwin said. “It can take a long time.”
Tandems like Darwin and Avocado have become a regular feature of the war. Avocado, the Mavic pilot, gets a higher-altitude view so she can talk the F.P.V. pilot, Darwin, along the path to a target. With a virtual-reality headset, Darwin sees little more than the landscape speeding below him. Often he must fly eight kilometers or more by sight, evading Russian jammers. Successful missions, where a $500 F.P.V. takes out a $1 million weapon system, are trumpeted across social media. Yet less than one-third of attacks are successful, pilots said.
Far from the front, volunteers and companies work to acquire as many F.P.V.s as possible, with Ukrainian suppliers saying soldiers probably need as many as 30,000 a month. Ukraine’s government has plans to secure 100,000 of the devices for the rest of the year, said Mr. Shchyhol, the Ukrainian official.
Ukrainians compete with Russians to buy F.P.V.s from Chinese firms that are willing to sell directly. Russians often have the advantage because they can bid higher and order larger batches. Selling to Russians is also politically safer for Chinese companies.
Escadrone, a Ukrainian drone supplier, has long sourced components from China to assemble the flying vehicles. The company’s founder, who gave only his first name, Andrii, for fear of being targeted by Russia, said the profit incentives for Chinese companies lead them to sell to both sides.
“I have Chinese companies tell me they hate the Russians, Ukraine is the best,” he said. “Then I see their engines on Russian drones, too.”
A drone industry of its own
In an office building barricaded with sandbags, the man behind Ukraine’s efforts to build a drone-industrial complex slid his phone forward. On it was a photo of the newest addition to a secretive Ukrainian program to strike deep inside Russia: a long-range drone with a pointy nose and swept wings.“Yesterday the new Bober, modernized, flew to Moscow,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, referring to a class of heavy kamikaze drone that had struck Moscow the day before.
All summer, the long-range drone program had terrorized Moscow. In an interview in August, Mr. Fedorov, 32, took credit.
He has led the effort to revamp Ukraine’s military-technology base since late last year, using deregulation and state funding to build a remote-control strike force that the country can call its own. That includes helping fund the Bober program, as well as seeding a new generation of Ukrainian companies to build a drone fleet. Part of the idea is to diversify away from foreign suppliers like China.
“The state must create the best conditions, provide funding, so we will win the technological war against Russia,” said Mr. Fedorov, whose Ministry of Digital Transformation is overseeing the government project to spend $1 billion on drones this year.
He acknowledged that some smaller companies faced issues from Chinese suppliers, but said that overall it had not been a major holdup.
“Of course, they are facing problems,” he said. “But to say that there are some supercritical problems that prevent development — there is no such thing.”
Around Kyiv, the activity is palpable. Young companies are inventing homespun flying craft in hidden workshops. Ranges surrounded by fields of sunflowers and rapeseed are abuzz with new contraptions, which undergo a battery of tests before being cleared for the war.
The start-up spirit has its limits. Makers complain about small-scale contracts from the government, shortages of funds and a lack of planning. Skeptics said the government was running a high-risk experiment that business would come through in the lurch, even though there was no replacement for Chinese drones.
Replacing China as the source for drones like F.P.V.s and Mavics may be difficult, but tentative signs show Ukraine finding parts from Europe, the United States and others like Taiwan for some advanced drones.
Ukrspecsystems, a company in Kyiv that makes fixed-wing reconnaissance drones, said in a statement that supply chain issues with China had led it to look beyond the country.
“Today, we virtually do not use any Chinese components because we see and feel how China deliberately delays the delivery of any goods to Ukraine,” it said.
Ukraine’s War of Drones Runs Into an Obstacle: China (Published 2023)
As the war with Russia stretches on, so too does a contest to make more and deadlier flying machines. That means a fight over global electronics supply chains that run through China.
Treasury Hardens Sanctions With 130 New Russian Evasion and Military-Industrial Targets
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) continues to disrupt the networks and channels through which Russia attempts to sustain its beleaguered military. Today’s sanctions focus on individuals and entities abetting Russia’s unconscionable war against Ukraine by providing Russia with much-needed technology and equipment from third countries. Additionally, these actions take aim at Russia’s domestic industrial base, which is seeking to reinvent itself as the maintainer of Russia’s war machine. With these designations, Treasury is disrupting producers, exporters, and importers of nearly all of the high-priority items identified by the international coalition imposing sanctions and export controls on Russia.
“Russia is dependent on willing third-country individuals and entities to resupply its military and perpetuate its heinous war against Ukraine and we will not hesitate in holding them accountable,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen. “Our global sanctions coalition has choked off Russia’s access to key inputs for its military industrial complex and has undermined the Kremlin’s ability to wage its unprovoked war. Today’s actions demonstrate our further resolve in continuing to disrupt every link of Russian military supply chain, and target outside actors who would seek to support Russia’s war effort.”
The U.S. Department of State is also issuing nearly 100 sanctions today targeting Russia’s future energy production and revenue, metals and mining sector, defense procurement, and those involved in supporting the Russian government’s war effort and other malign activities.
DISRUPTING RUSSIA’S INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAINS
Unable to domestically produce much of the technology, equipment, and other materiel it needs to sustain and maintain its military-industrial complex, Russia has offshored that production, relying on third-country suppliers to acquire the goods it needs. Russia continues to exploit otherwise legitimate economic relationships with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (the UAE), which have become hubs for exporting, reexporting, and transshipping to Russia foreign-made technology and equipment. Treasury continues to work with partners to prevent further Russian sanctions evasion and export control violations through their jurisdictions. Recent actions taken—particularly by the UAE—are encouraging, and the U.S. looks forward to working with partners to verify that Russia is no longer able to exploit their jurisdictions.Entities based in the PRC, Türkiye, and the UAE continue to send high-priority dual-use goods to Russia, including critical components that Russia relies on for its weapons systems (“high-priority goods”). While Treasury will continue to work with the Governments of the PRC, Türkiye, and the UAE to address potential sanctions and export control vulnerabilities together in the spirit of bilateral cooperation, Treasury will not hesitate to take action to prevent Russia from using the U.S. and international financial systems to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Türkiye
Azint Elektronik Makina Gida Urunleri Tekstil Nakliyat Ithalat Ihracat Sanayi Ticaret Limited (Azint Elektronik) is a supplier of high-quality foreign-made microelectronics. Between August 2022 and June 2023, Azint Elektronik made shipments to Russia containing high-priority goods such as electronic integrated circuits and tantalum and multilayer ceramic capacitors.Basilevs Lojistik Medikal Tarim Ticaret Ve Sanayi Sti (Basilevs Lojistik) has sent high-priority goods to Russia. Basilevs Lojistik has also sent lithium-ion batteries, electrical batteries, and instruments for metal processing to Russia.
Bosphorus Gate Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Bosphorus Gate) has made shipments of high-priority goods to Russia, including electronic integrated circuits and machines for the transmission and regeneration of data. U.S.-designated Russian military-industrial complex firm Limited Liability Company AK Microtech sought to procure microelectronics production equipment through Bosphorus Gate.
Jacbac Technology Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Jacbac Technology) is a manufacturer and exporter of technological products that has made dozens of shipments of equipment to Russia since August 2022. Jacbac Technology has made shipments to Russia of instruments for metalworking and metal turning machine tools.
Kuzey Logistics Tasimacilik Ithalat Ihracat Ve Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Kuzey Logistics)is a logistics company, with certificates of operation in Russia and Türkiye, which provides Russian customs clearance and truck transportation services in Russia.
Smart Techno Group Dis Ticaret Ve Lojistik Limited Sirketi (Smart Techno Group) has sent high-priority goods to Russia, including electronic integrated circuits, machines for reception, conversion and transmission of data, and tantalum capacitors.
Technopartner Teknoloji Urunleri Bilisim Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Technopartner) has sent equipment for calibration and material testing equipment to Russia. In early 2023, Technopartner procured sensitive U.S.-origin technology on behalf of Russian military-industrial clients.
Azint Elektronik and Bosphorus Gate were designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Basilevs Lojistik, Jacbac Technology, Smart Techno Group, and Technopartner were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Kuzey Logistics was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy.
In addition to those entities, Treasury also took action today to disrupt a Türkiye-based illicit procurement network with ties to Russian intelligence services.
Turkish national Berk Turken is the owner of Türkiye-based firms BSB Grup Internet Ve Yapay Zeka Teknolojileri Anonim Sirketi (BSB Group) and Turken Dijital Matbaa Teknolojileri Bilgisayar Bilisim Kirtasiye Fotografcilik Sanayi Ve Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Turken Digital). BSB Group was established in 2021 by Berk Turken and is wholly owned by him. Berk Turken and Turken Digital have been involved in enabling Russian intelligence services to procure technology for sanctioned Russian entities. Turken Digital has worked with U.S.-designated Limited Liability Company TBS (TBS) and Andrey Vladimirovich Timoshin (Timoshin) to arrange payment and shipping details to overcome sanctions barriers and move goods from Türkiye to Russia. TBS and Timoshin were designated in May 2023. TBS is a technology company located in Moscow that provides testing systems for the microelectronic industry. Russia’s intelligence services have used TBS to enable payments and ship equipment on behalf of Russian customers. Timoshin worked with TBS and other companies to procure semiconductor and nanotechnology production equipment for sanctioned Russian entities. Timoshin’s procurement activity was directed by Russia’s intelligence services.
Berk Turken and Turken Digital were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy. BSB Group was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Berk Turken.
United Arab Emirates
365 Days Freight Services FZCO (365 Days) specializes in moving high-value goods and computer components. 365 Days has shipped high-priority goods, including machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data, to Russia.Alcotech International Trading DMCC (Alcotech) specializes in financing and delivering projects in high-tech equipment. Alcotech has worked with Russian end-users to acquire specialized technical equipment. Andrei Golovtchenko (Golovtchenko) is the director and owner of Alcotech. Golovtchenko facilitated the shipment of industrial equipment to a Russian end-user.
Alfa Logistics FZCO (Alfa Logistics) has shipped high-priority goods, including machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data, to Russia.
Dubai Sea Breeze has shipped U.S.-origin aircraft parts and equipment to Russia. Dubai Sea Breeze’s Russian-language website caters to construction, heavy equipment, and aircraft industry clients seeking to obtain products manufactured in the United States and Europe.
Flavic FZE (Flavic) imports and exports aviation equipment and technology to and from Russia for repair, reconstruction, testing, and other maintenance, and is certified to work with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Globe Trekkers LLC (Globe Trekkers) has shipped high-priority goods, including processing units, to Russia.
Hyperel FZCO (Hyperel) has shipped high-priority goods, machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data to Russia. Hyperel has also shipped U.S.-made vehicle-related equipment and technology to Russia.
Kobolt Trading FZ LLC (Kobolt) has shipped high-priority goods, including machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data, to Russia.
Mobitronix LLC (Mobitronix) is involved in the trade of satellite receiving equipment and other computer equipment, and has shipped high-priority goods, including electronic integrated circuits; machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data; tantalum capacitors; ceramic capacitors; and electrical parts, to Russia.
SM Distribution Inc FZCO (SM Distribution) is an electronics trading company that has shipped high-priority goods, including machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data, to Russia.
TCH Consultancy has shipped high-priority goods, including machines for the reception, conversion, and transmission of data, to Russia.
365 Days, Alcotech, Alfa Logistics, Flavic, Golovtchenko, Globe Trekkers, Hyperel, Kobolt, SM Distribution, and TCH Consultancy were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Mobitronix was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Dubai Sea Breeze was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy.
In addition to targeting UAE-based firms supplying dual-use goods to Russia, OFAC is also taking steps to disrupt a UAE-based network involved in Russian illicit finance.
ARX Financial Engineering Limited (ARX) is a UAE-based financial engineering company set up to provide brokerage and investment servicesa t institutional and professional clients. ARX has offered investment services to Russian investors, including the ability to transfer Russian financial assets into and house brokerage and bank accounts in the UAE to promote their access to the global financial system. ARX has been involved in identifying ways that Russian rubles could be sent from sanctioned Russian bank VTB Bank Public Joint Stock Company (VTB) and converted to U.S. dollars. ARX has also identified ways to reduce the risk of identification of a client's assets in the event of sanctions exposure.
Oman-based Tadawul Financial Services SAOC (Tadawul) is a boutique investment firm that provides clients access to brokerage and portfolio management services though global financial markets, safekeeping of assets, and advice. Tadawul has been leveraged to house and manage Russian illicit assets. Tadawul' s corporate relationship with ARX is intended to support servicing of Russian clients.
Russian national Natalia Vladimirovna Solozhentseva (Solozhentseva) is the former vice president of VTB and a former board member of VTB’s Cypriot subsidiary. Solozhentseva has worked with ARX to strengthen and growth its business and to establish investment firms that manage illicit Russian assets in jurisdictions with. minimal regulatory oversight.
Additionally, UAE-based company Solinvest LTD (Solinvest) is directed and owned by Solozhentseva. Cypriot national Aegli Tamani Phella (Phella) is a director of Solinvest and chairman of the board of directors of Tadawul.
Additional ARX-linked individuals designated today include:
- Irish national Liam Eoin Fraher (Fraher) is a founding partner and member of the board of ARX and the deputy chairman of the board of the directors of Tadawul.
- Latvian national Donats Skutelis (Skutelis) is the chief executive officer (CEO) and a partner of ARX and a shareholder of Tadawul.
- Russian national Beyshen Kasymovich Isaev (Isaev) is a senior relationship manager at ARX.
- Irish national Dermot O'Reilly (O'Reilly) is the head of ethical finance at ARX.
People’s Republic of China
PRC-based Beijing Jiahehengde Technology Company Ltd. (Jiahehengde) and Beijing Shangyixianda Technology CompanyLtd. (Shangyixianda) have conducted hundreds of shipments of electro-optical equipment, cameras, telecommunications equipment, and other electronic components to Russia-based LLC Laser Components, which was designated today by the U.S. Department of State. Jiahehengde and Shangyixianda were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for LLC Laser Components, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14024.China Taly Aviation Technologies Corp. (China Taly) is a PRC-based company that has shipped radar components to a Russian state-owned missile manufacturer for use in advanced antiaircraft missile systems. China Taly was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Georgios Georgiou
Georgios Georgiou (Georgiou) is a money launderer who has facilitated money laundering globally for criminal organizations, corrupt businessmen, and Russian oligarchs. Georgiou has used various money laundering schemes to move hundreds of millions of dollars for Russian oligarchs and obfuscated the beneficial ownership of the funds. These schemes included loans for the purchase of land, a loan-back transaction with “loan forgiveness,” and the use of convertible promissory notes. Georgiou also provided services to U.S.-designated John Desmond Hanafin, the founder and CEO of U.S.-designated Huriya Private FZE LLE, a private equity and corporate structuring entity heavily involving in moving Russian finance into the UAE and money laundering.Georgiou was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy.
AIT and Anton Garevskikh
Advanced Industrial Technologies GmbH (AIT) is a Switzerland-based supplier of industrial equipment and provides sourcing, procurement, and logistics services. AIT has worked with Russian end-users to procure dual-use equipment from European, American, and Asian suppliers. Swiss national Anton Garevskikh (Garevskikh) is the CEO and owner of AIT.AIT and Garevskikh were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy. Garevskikh was also designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of AIT.
Artur Petrov Sanctions Evasion Network
Artur Aleksandrovich Petrov (Petrov) orchestrated a complex sanctions evasion scheme to procure U.S.-made electronics technology for Russian end-users. On August 31, 2023, Petrov was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) with export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses based on Petrov’s alleged participation in a scheme to procure U.S.-sourced microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of a Russia-based supplier of critical electronics components for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military. The Cyprus Police provided critical assistance in effecting Petrov’s arrest on August 26, 2023 in the Republic of Cyprus at the request of the United States.According to the allegations in SDNY’s complaint, Petrov is a Russian national who has resided in Russia and Cyprus and works for Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Elektrokom VPK (Elektrokom), a Russia-based supplier of critical electronics components for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military. Petrov and two co-conspirators operated an illicit procurement network in Russia and elsewhere overseas. They have fraudulently procured from U.S. distributors large quantities of microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of Elektrokom. To carry out the scheme, Petrov and his co-conspirators used shell companies and other deceptive means to conceal that the electronics components were destined for Russia. The technology that Petrov and his co-conspirators has procured in contravention of export controls during the course of the conspiracy has significant military applications and includes various types of electronics components that have been recovered in Russian military hardware on the battlefield in Ukraine, such as Russian guided missiles, drones, and electronic warfare and communications devices.
According to the allegations in SDNY’s complaint, to perpetrate the scheme, Petrov first acquired the controlled microelectronics from U.S.-based electronics exporters using a Cyprus-based shell company, Astrafteros Technokosmos LTD (Astrafteros), which he operates. Petrov procured these sensitive electronics components by falsely representing to the U.S. exporters that Astrafteros was purchasing the items for fire security systems, among other commercial uses, and that the ultimate end-users and destinations of the electronics were companies in Cyprus or other third countries—when in fact the components were destined for Elektrokom.
Petrov, Elektrokom, and Astrafteros were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy.
DIMINISHING RUSSIA’S DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL BASE
Russia’s desperation to extend its war of choice against Ukraine has led to a reorientation of its domestic industrial base away from producing goods for the Russian people to attempting to ensure that the war machine can sustain itself. Today, OFAC is targeting a wide array of Russia-based industrial firms that produce, import, distribute, and repair industrial machinery, machine tools, spare parts, additive manufacturing (including 3D printing) equipment, ball bearings, and other industrial equipment and materials.The following Russia-based firms were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the manufacturing sector of the Russian Federation economy:
- OOO Absolyut Shar is a bearing manufacturer and extensive supplier of bearings, gears, and driving elements;
- Alfa Machinery Group supplies metalworking equipment and machinery to Russian manufacturers;
- Anisoprint Rus LLC is a distributor of industrial 3D printing equipment;
- Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science Russian Academy of Sciences researches manufacturing processing of ferrous, non-ferrous, and rare metals and alloys;
- Baltiyskaya Promishlennaya Kompaniya manufactures metalworking machines and is involved in the production of protective casings, guards, and chip conveyors;
- Baltpromservis manufactures bearings, gears, and gearing and driving elements, and also repairs machinery and equipment;
- Limited Liability Company Clean Gases Plus manufactures industrial gases, explosives, devices, and sensors;
- Cybercom Limited is a distributor of industrial 3D printing and 3D scanning equipment;
- LLC Etalon Pro supplies metalworking equipment to Russian companies for industrial production;
- LLC F2 Innovations is a distributor of industrial 3D printing equipment;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu FAM Grupp supplies components for machine engineering, develops solutions for industrial automation, and manufactures electric motors, generators, and other components;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu FAM Kholding supplies components for mechanical engineering and develops industrial automation systems;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu FAM Robotiks is engaged in production process automation with the application of industrial robots;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu FAM Rusavtomatika supplies automation equipment and wholesales machinery;
- Gazpromneft Catalytic Systems Limited Liability Company manufactures chemical agents for advanced oil refining in Russia;
- Haitian Precision LLC wholesales metalworking equipment;
- Limited Liability Company I Machine Technology supplies metal-cutting machines to Russian companies, including on a turnkey basis;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Innovatsionnye Tekhnologii i Materialy produces carbon composite materials for major Russian aerospace companies;
- OOO Instrumentalno Podshipnikovaya Kompaniya supplies bearings and metal-cutting equipment;
- IRS Laser Technology Limited Liability Company manufactures laser metal surfacing technology for the aviation, energy, mining, and metallurgical sectors;
- Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo IPK Finval is a leading supplier of industrial machinery, tools, gear, and equipment and also provides engineering services for electronics manufacturing;
- Kami Group Limited Liability Company is one of the largest suppliers of industrial equipment in Russia and is involved in the manufacture of metalworking equipment;
- JSC Kompozit (Kompozit) performs research and experimental work on the properties of materials, including those relating to additive manufacturing. Kompozit specializes in the manufacture of manmade fibers, technical ceramic products, products based on graphite or other carbon, weapons and ammunition, and the casting of light metals;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Khaitian SNG is a wholesaler of injection molding machines, robots, and peripherals that also provides services to manufacturers of polymer products;
- Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Lama supplies spare parts and manufactures spare parts for bulldozers;
- Limited Company Laser Systems creates products for the air navigation and meteorology fields and holds a license for the development, production, and testing of armed and military equipment;
- LLC SPC Lasers and Apparatus TM develops and produces industrial laser equipment;
- Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Mashinostroitelnyi Kholding develops and manufactures drilling tools and equipment;
- Zakrytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Magnitogorskii Zavod Prokatnykh Valkov produces metalworking machinery and equipment;
- NIK LLC is engaged in industrial 3D printing for Russian aviation customers;
- LLC Nizhnekamsk Mechanical Plant repairs machinery and equipment and manufactures products using metallurgy;
- Joint Stock Company Omutninsk Metallurgical Plant manufactures a wide assortment of metal products;
- OOO TD Podshipnik Trade distributes and develops bearing products;
- Promyshlennaya Gruppa Vekprom Limited Liability Company wholesales machine tools and manufactures metalworking equipment and machinery;
- Nauchno Proizvodstvennoe Obyedinenie Promodel manufactures critical castings for the aviation, oil, and gas industries;
- Promoil Limited Liability Company is involved in machinery manufacturing and wholesales machines, devices, apparatus, and equipment for general industrial and special purposes, including industrial equipment, lathes, milling machines, and boring machines;
- LLC Research and Production Association 3D Integration is a distributor of industrial 3D printing equipment;
- Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Rust 95 produces valves and automatic control devices;
- Public Joint Stock CompanySasta manufactures metal-cutting machine tools and road machinery;
- Scientific and Technical Center Privodnaya Tehnika Limited Liability Company manufactures equipment for the metallurgy and energy sectors;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu SFT distributes specialized tools for computer numerical control (CNC) metalworking equipment;
- OOO TD Sibirskiy Podshipnik supplies bearings to the machinery and manufacturing industries;
- Stan LLC manufactures metal-working equipment;
- Stanki.Ru Limited Liability Company is involved in the manufacture of metalworking equipment and wholesales industrial machinery and machine tools;
- Stankim delivers metalworking equipment and components for the production of metalworking equipment;
- Stankomashstroy manufactures metalworking equipment;
- Stankoprom OOO manufactures finished metal products;
- Syncam Additive Center makes additive manufacturing equipment;
- Limited Liability Company Tek Kom Manufacturing produces and supplies bearings and bearing units, seals, mechatronics, services, and lubrication systems;
- Uraldomnoremont Ekaterinburg manufactures machinery for metallurgy;
- Obshchestvo S Ogranichennoi Otvetstvennostyu Vidis Grupp (Vidis Grupp) is a wholesaler of industrial machinery, to include metal cutting tools, owned by U.S.-designated Russian aerospace and defense company Joint Stock Company Tekhnodinamika (Tekhnodinamika). Vidis Grupp was also designated pursuant to E.O.14024 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Tekhnodinamika;
- Zakrytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Instrument manufactures fabricated metal products;
- Zavod Kompleksnye Dorozhnye Mashiny manufactures special-purpose motor vehicles, such as utility vehicles;
- Zavod Podshipnikovykh Uzlov manufactures and supplies bearings, gears, drives, and bearing housings, and;
- Zavod Pribornykh Podshipnikov Limited Liability Company is Russia's largest manufacturer of miniature precision ball bearings.
- Joint Stock Company Ascon produces software solutions for 3D modeling, business process development, and engineering data management;
- Bazis Center LLC is a software designer for complex automation;
- CSoft Development is a software developer for the fields of mechanical engineering and construction;
- Gazpromneft Science and Technology Centre Limited Liability Company develops technologies for the Russian oil and gas industries;
- JSC IQB Technologies is a distributor of industrial 3D printing and 3D scanning equipment, software, and materials;
- Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Nauchno Proizvodstvennoe Obyedinenie MKM is a software developer for foundry technologies;
- Quantorform is a software designer for the automatic simulation of the metallurgical process chain.
NT Service is a Russia-based company that provides services for transporting cargo as well as repair and maintenance services for motorways, vehicles, and commercial and industrial machinery. NT Service was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) is an advanced scientific center and aviation institute involved in the development of aircraft engines. The institute is part of Russia’s military-industrial complex. CIAM was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the aerospace sector of the Russian Federation economy.
OFAC is also designating several individuals involved in Russian industry.
Russian nationals Vadim Sergeevich Dobrov (Dobrov) and Alexander Aleksandrovich Vyalov (Vyalov) are officials of Public Joint Stock Company Research & Production Corporation Istok Named After AI Shokin (NPP Istok), a Russian manufacturer of electronic components for military end-users that was designated on June 28, 2022.
Dobrov and Vyalov were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy.
Russian national Boris Gennadiyevich Vorontsov (Vorontsov) is an official at a Russian state-owned corporation.
Vorontsov was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Russian national Maksim Yuryevich Ermakov (Ermakov) has founded at least seven Russian manufacturing companies.
Ermakov was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the manufacturing sector of the Russian Federation economy.
IMPEDING RUSSIA’S TECHNOLOGICAL GROWTH
Today, OFAC continues to put pressure on Russia’s technology sector. The actions today target Russia-based entities and individuals that finance, research, develop, or import advanced technology, including Russia’s finance and technology conglomerate Sistema.Sistema Public Joint Stock Financial Corporation (Sistema) is one of Russia’s largest publicly-traded diversified holding companies, with involvement in the defense, financial, and technology industries. Sistema was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services and technology sectors of the Russian Federation economy. Sistema has also been sanctioned by the United Kingdom.
OFAC also designated the following three Sistema subsidiaries pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sistema:
- Luxembourg-based East West United Bank SA
- Singapore-based Sistema Asia PTE LTD
- Russia-based Sistema Smarttekh
The following Russia-based firms and individuals were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy:
- Joint Stock Company Company Scan wholesales computers and related devices and provides advisory services related to computer technologies;
- Engineering Center of Innovative Technologies manufactures radio electronics and electronic printed circuits;
- Fregat OOO (Fregat) is one of the top suppliers of electronic components and equipment in Russia. Fregat’s key customers and partners include multiple designated entities, including U.S.- designated Russian defense companies Joint Stock Company Concern Kalashnikov, State Corporation Rostec, and Joint Stock Company Aerospace Defense Concern Almaz Antey;
- Research and Production Company Horst is the main supplier of specialty gases for Russia’s semiconductor industry;
- Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Optron is one of Russia’s leading manufacturers of semiconductors;
- Joint Stock Company Scan designs microelectronics and has its own center for designing integrated circuits;
- OOO TK Fly Bridge is an electronics wholesaler that has fulfilled contracts for U.S.-designated Russian military electronic component manufacturer NPP Istok, and;
- Joint Stock Company VNIIR Progress is involved in the development and production of electronic components.
TARGETING RUSSIA’S FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR
Building on previous sanctions actions, OFAC today sanctioned seven Russia-based banks, an executive of one of those banks, and one Russia-based financial infrastructure entity.Public Joint Stock Company Saint Petersburg Exchange (SPBX)is a Russia-based brokerage providing access for investors to the international stock markets, including the Russian stock market.
SPBX was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy.
The following Russia-based financial institutions were designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy:
- Commercial Bank Absolut Bank PAO, a commercial bank focused on high-tech development;
- Blanc Bank Limited Liability Company, an investment bank;
- Home Credit & Finance Bank Limited Liability Company, a private commercial bank;
- Joint Stock Company Post Bank, a commercial bank;
- Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Kommercheski Bank Russki Regionalny Bank (Russki Regionalny Bank), a commercial bank;
- Joint Stock Company Russian Regional Development Bank, a commercial bank, and;
- Joint Stock Company Russian Standard Bank, a private commercial bank.
Zharikov was designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy as well as for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of Russki Regionalny Bank.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the persons above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
A documentary film about the development of the national UAV systems program was shown in Iran. One of the episodes of the documentary shows a meeting between the commander of the Iranian IRGC Aerospace Forces, General Hajizadeh, and, at that time, the commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, General Surovikin. The meeting took place 2.5 years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the meeting, the parties reached an agreement on mutual cooperation in the development of aerospace technologies, in particular kamikaze UAVs.
New Russian thermobaric warhead for Shahed-136 (Geran-2) kamikaze UAVs weighing 40 kg. Such a warhead is capable of demolishing part of a residential building, which makes the UAV actually an analogue of TOS-1A ammunition.
American-Israeli businessman illegally moved sensitive US tech to Russia, charge claims
An Israeli-American businessman was arrested for his involvement in a scheme to illegally export sensitive US tech to Russia, before and during its war on Ukraine, the US Department of Justice said in a Thursday statement.
Ilya Kahn, 66, was arrested on Wednesday for his suspected role in a years-long plot to transfer thousands of semiconductors made in America to ELVEES, a sanctioned Russian business that the department said was tied to Russia's military and the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Kahn is the owner of two US-based companies, Senesys Incorporated and Sensor Design Association, both operating in the field of "security software development." A joint Departments of Justice and Commerce investigation found that, through these companies, the suspect exported thousands of microcontrollers, network interface controllers, and a radio-frequency transmitter to ELVEES, before and after it was sanctioned by the United States and listed in the Commerce Department’s Entity List in March 2022 for its alleged role in helping facilitate Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to the allegation, Kahn moved such sensitive equipment without obtaining an appropriate permit through a third party in the form of a Hong Kong-based shipping company. After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Khan allegedly continued to supply ELVEES with semiconductors manufactured in Taiwan.
After a Taiwanese company refused to ship the semiconductors to Russia, Khan devised a plot to ship the tech to the US only to have it re-exported to Moscow, the complaint against the businessman charged. "Kahn also used Hong Kong and other locations around the world as transshipment points to evade US export laws and regulations and to conceal the Russian end users," it added.
Kahn will be met with 'full force' of the US Justice Department
"Mr. Kahn stands accused of repeatedly exporting sensitive technology to Russia before, during, and after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," the US Department of Justice's National Security Division Assistant Attorney-General Matthew G. Olsen was quoted as saying. "Violations of US sanctions and export control laws that aid Russia and other hostile powers endanger our nation’s security and will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.""This arrest reflects our continued aggressive enforcement of export control violations involving the Russian military and the FSB," a Commerce Department official added.
Khan is officially alleged to have conspired to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
American-Israeli businessman illegally moved sensitive US tech to Russia, charge claims
Ilya Kahn, 66, was arrested on Wednesday for his suspected role in a years-long plot to transfer thousands of semiconductors made in America to Moscow-based ELVEES.
www.jpost.com
The Prana Network hacker group breached the email servers of the Iranian company IRGC Sahara Thunder, that facilitates arms sales from Iran to Russia. The servers contained data on the production of Shahed-136 attack drones for Russia. The documents do not directly mention the type of product being manufactured. Instead, drones are listed in documents under a special code as "Dolphin 632 type motor boat."
The Iranian side announced a starting price of $375,000 per unit. However, during the negotiations, an agreement was reached for $193,000 per piece when ordering 6,000 units or $290,000 when ordering 2,000 units. The total price of the production contract, including the transfer of technologies, equipment, 6,000 pieces of UAVs and software, is roughly $1.75 billion. According to other published documents, at least partially, Russia conducts its financial transactions and payments with Iran in gold.
@Kartal1 @TR_123456 @Sanchez @Yasar_TR @Ryder @Rodeo @Rooxbar @Fuzuli NL @Zafer @Mis_TR_Like @Kaan Azman
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One of their officials had recently denied the sales of drones to Russia at any stage.
I mean, why do they tell lies that can easily be destroyed with ample evidence?
Not that many other countries don't do the same.
