On Monday, the International Working Group on Russian Sanctions claimed that China is the primary supplier of essential components for Russian drones deployed against Ukraine.
According to reports, Russia significantly depends on foreign-made components, particularly microelectronics, in three drone models used during attacks on Ukraine.
China Supplying Drone Parts to Russia
The expert group, co-chaired by Ukraine’s Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, and the Director of the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), US Ambassador Michael McFaul, investigated 174 foreign components retrieved from three Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) models used by Russian forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.
According to a Yermak-McFaul group study, China is the primary supplier of crucial components for Russian drones, accounting for 67% of exports, with Hong Kong accounting for 17%.
In the report, the expert group mentions that Turkey and the UAE account for 5% and 2% of the components, respectively. The drones also had components, including computers, semiconductors, transistors, and other critical parts, made in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and other nations.
According to the expert group’s study, many details can be retrieved through publicly accessible channels, hindering regulatory supervision and urging manufacturers to do more to prevent Russia from gaining access to their products in violation of international sanctions.
Andriy Yermak remarked,
“Russia is extremely active in using drones for massive attacks on infrastructure, civilian and military targets in Ukraine, so it is very disturbing to see that important components for the production of hostile UAVs come from different countries, including Ukraine’s allies. This issue requires our joint immediate response.”
The international working group on sanctions against Russia, chaired by the Head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andrii Yermak & Ambassador Michael McFaul, has determined that 67% of foreign components for Russian drones are supplied from Chinahttps://t.co/i52yIW8KoP
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 28, 2023
Partner Nations to Comply with Sanctions
The expert group suggested harmonising sanctions lists amongst partner nations, unifying lists of dual-use commodities based on the Harmonised System, and increasing the categories of goods subject to sanctions based on the Harmonised System.
According to the expert group, companies should also provide more precise rules for complying with the law. It advised producers and authorities to work together to improve compliance with sanctions and establish effective restriction measures. The group also recommends governments look into prominent companies that do not follow the sanctions policy.
Experts believe that more effective use of existing institutions and mechanisms is required. The use of anti-money laundering (AML) methods, in particular, could strengthen export control efforts, as sanctions evasion frequently resembles money laundering.
The use of AML techniques to export restrictions is beneficial for identifying structures in third countries that are significant for the manufacturing and export of military equipment to Russia, especially if the production occurs outside of the sanction coalition.
Chinese Parts in Iranian Drones Supplied to Russia
According to a report, with the help of the flow of components from China, Iran is supplying Russia with drones for the Ukraine War.
The investigators claimed that an Iranian drone shot down by Ukrainian forces in April included a voltage converter manufactured in China in mid-January.
War Armament Research, a UK-based firm that investigates global weapons supply chains, claims it is the first time a part manufactured in 2023 has been detected in drones used in the war.
A video of Chinese-made armoured vehicles released online in June by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s battle in Ukraine, already raised questions of whether Chinese technology is being used to aid Moscow’s military effort.