Kazakhstan's covert trade: Western tech aiding Russian military
As reported by the investigative portal The Insider, companies from Kazakhstan are purchasing components in the West used for producing electronic warfare systems and subsequently selling them to Russia. This is not the first report in recent weeks indicating that searching for discreet allies of Russia and profit seekers often leads to Kazakhstan.
3:21 PM EST, November 18, 2024
In September, the InformNapalm group published an investigation. It revealed that Kazakhstan companies are involved in the repair and maintenance of Russian Su-30SM aircraft. This became feasible by acquiring French components from Indian intermediaries, to which Paris formally responded in October, taking steps to curb this practice. The measures included limiting the trade of items such as multifunction displays, navigation systems, and HUD indicators. The latest findings by The Insider indicate a similar scenario with electronic warfare systems.
Concerning findings: How Russians bypass sanctions
According to disclosed information, in the years 2023-2024, companies registered in Kazakhstan purchased products from reputable international brands such as Rohde & Schwarz from Germany, Safran Data Systems from France, Mini-Circuits from the USA, and Farran Technology from Ireland. These goods were then re-exported to Russia.
The investigation by The Insider highlighted that goods imported from the West, known as "dual-use goods," were making their way to Russian companies sanctioned by Western countries. The portal also accessed correspondence in which the management of a Kazakh company promised to deliver Spanish equipment from Keysight Technologies to the Russian company Dipol. According to military experts, equipment from this company, as well as from other Western manufacturers, is used 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 through Kazakh enterprises. They were encouraged to meet with the individuals representing these enterprises.
This is further evidence that after the onset of the full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russian companies, "dual-use goods" are reaching Russia via third countries, including Central Asian states. In the past two years, the gross domestic product of these regions has significantly increased, 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 requires constant updating. No information on potential actions against Western companies may be aware of their goods' final recipients.
Russians are unable to produce many devices and parts essential for weapons production. As a result, they are willing to pay several times the usual price for specific components or services, a fact exploited by companies from countries not under sanctions, keen on large profits.
