Loopholes allow EU parts in Russian Kinzhal missiles despite trade bans – The Insider
A number of Russian contractors who help produce Kinzhal missiles did not fall under Western sanctions and still receive from Europe the equipment and components needed to work on the creation of missiles that the Russian military uses to attack Ukraine, according to an investigation of the Russian outlet The Insider.
The journalists noted that after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most of the Russian defense industry companies were subjected to sanctions, but the contractors of the enterprises that produce Kinzhals avoided them and continue to import the necessary goods directly from various EU countries.
During the full-scale war, Rostec increased the production of Kinzhals. One missile costs the Russian budget $10 million, journalists claim.
The investigation says that both Iskanders and Kinzhals are produced by the KBM corporationfrom Kolomna, which forms part of High Precision Systems, a group of companies within the Rostec Corporation.
The Insider previously reported on the American chips from Texas Instruments, Analog Devices and Altera used in the Kinzhals. Now it was revealed that the Moscow-based ETC Electronics, established in 2021, imports microcircuits from these manufacturers through the Chinese company ETC Electronics Limited.
The company ETC Electronics participated in the Army-2022 forum, receiving a diploma from the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. But it has not yet come under the sanctions of the European Union, the journalists noted.
According to the media, the goods needed for the production of Kinzhals are imported from Europe as well. According to the state procurement website, KBM receives heat and cold chambers (manufacturer – Espec) from the Moscow-based Ostek-Test.
"Even during the war, as ImportGenius data show, this company continued to import Espec equipment from Poland. The sender was Siedlce-based Intertrans Sp. z o.o. (the Polish authorities are already looking into it)," the investigation found.
According to journalists, a large number of supplies come from Germany. Lathes were supplied by KEB-Rus LLC, a partner of the German company KEB. KEB-Rus also imported cables from Germany during the all-out war.
KBM's supplier of gun drills and other tools manufactured by Sandvik is Mir Stanochnika. This contractor receives products from IR-Logistik GMBH from Berlin, the journalists write.
The developer of the "brains" for Kinzhals is Rostec's Research Institute of Electronic Devices (NIIEP), and its contractor is Radiant-EK, which supplied microcircuits, including directly to KBM. During the war, Radiant-EK continues to import coils and tapes for protective packaging of electronic components from Germany (the sender is Advantek Gmbh), the journalists write.
The investigation found that other European countries were also involved. Russia's Sonatek, which has state contracts with defense manufacturers of the Russian Federation, offers "state-of-the-art measuring and metalworking equipment by the world's leading manufacturers." Sonatek's trading partners are UAB Breitto (Lithuania), Baltic Shipping Agency LTD Sp. z o. o. (Poland), UAB CUST LT (Lithuania), Hermis Ekspo SIA (Latvia), Groupe D'Investissement Financier SA (Belgium), Aberlink Ltd (United Kingdom) and others.
The Kh-101 missile, which the Russians used to hit a residential building in Kryvyi Rih in June 2023, was made in Russia just a few months before the attack, said the head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak.
Foreign components continue to be found in Russian missiles and Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, which is evidenced by a photo shared last week.
