Kazakhstan's covert sales: Western tech aiding Russian arms
As revealed by the investigative platform The Insider, companies from Kazakhstan purchase components in the West to produce electronic warfare systems and then sell them to Russia. This is not the first report in recent weeks indicating that the search for quiet allies of Russia and profit-seekers frequently points to Kazakhstan.
In September, the findings of an investigation conducted by the InformNapalm group were published. It was discovered that Kazakhstan companies are involved in repairing and maintaining Russian Su-30SM aircraft. This involvement was made possible by purchasing French components from Indian intermediaries, to which Paris formally responded in October, taking measures to curb this practice—limiting the trade of, among others, multi-function displays, navigation systems, and HUD indicators. The latest revelations by The Insider demonstrate that a similar situation pertains to electronic warfare systems.
Concerning findings. How Russians bypass sanctions
According to disclosed information, in 2023-2024, companies registered in Kazakhstan purchased products from renowned international brands such as Rohde & Schwarz from Germany, Safran Data Systems from France, Mini-Circuits from the USA, and Farran Technology from Ireland. The acquired goods were then re-exported to Russia.
The Insider's investigation revealed that goods imported from the West, known as "dual-use goods," were reaching Russian companies under sanctions by Western nations. The platform also accessed correspondence in which the management of one of the Kazakh companies pledged to deliver Spanish equipment from Keysight Technologies to the Russian company Dipol. According to military experts, equipment from this company and other Western manufacturers is utilized in the development and modernization of Russian electronic intelligence satellites.
Successful journalistic provocation
In a provocative move, journalists posed as representatives of Moscow-based companies seeking to purchase products from Western manufacturers via Kazakh enterprises. They were encouraged to meet the individuals representing these companies.
This serves as further proof that after the outbreak of full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russian companies, "dual-use goods" are reaching Russia through third countries, including Central Asian states. In the past two years, the gross domestic product of these regions has increased significantly, except for Turkmenistan, primarily due to the transit of Russian goods through their territories. The USA and the UK have sanctioned some companies from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, but this list demands constant updating. There is no information on possible actions against Western companies that might still be aware of their goods' ultimate recipients.
Russians are unable to produce many devices and parts essential for weapons production. Consequently, they are willing to pay even multiple times the cost of a given component or service, which companies from non-sanctioned countries, eager for substantial profits, exploit.
