The West forbade Russia to sell components for the production of weapons. But she successfully buys them

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The war in Ukraine has been going on for the tenth month - and all this time the company - the manufacturer of Russian drones receives Western components. Orlan-10, a modern Russian drone, works on a foreign microelectronics. Its manufacturer - the company "Special Technological Center" - is under sanctions, so it itself cannot purchase components. But there are intermediaries in the USA, China and Russia, who help it bypassed restrictions, found out in a joint investigation “important stories”, Reuters and the British Institute of Defense Research (RUSI).

Orlan, a successful Russian drone

“They ran from us for three to four hours, then calmed down and decided that they had come off. But we watched all the time. When they stopped again, fire was opened on them with reactive systems and receiver artillery. The goal was amazed, ” says the operator of the Orlan-10 drone about how the Russian military destroyed the artillery battery of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces.

Eagle drones - the eyes and ears of the Russian army. They allow us to find Ukrainian military and equipment and bring fire to them. They can also much more - for example, intercept negotiations, jerk their cellular communications, send propaganda messages (the German Bild quoted some of them: “Ukrainian soldier, they will not find you until the snow melts”). Orlan is the most massive, most successful Russian drone, said Military Expert Kirill Mikhailov. On the eve of the war, Russia had about one and a half thousand “eagles”, appreciated by military expert Pavel Lusin.

The need to supply the army with modern drones in Russia thought after the war with Georgia in 2008 - she used Israeli drones. At first, it was about the purchase of foreign devices, but in 2010-2011 the supply of domestic “eagles” began . Since 2014, Russia began to use them against Ukraine, then it turned out that the Russian in the "eagles" was only the corps, and the entire filling is imported.

Ukrainians bring down the "eagles" eighth year and well studied its contents of the photo: mil.gov.ua Photo: mvs.gov.ua

According to the British Royal United United Institute of Defense Research (RUSI), the components of the American Altera and Xilinx, Texas Instruments, Microchip Technology, Analog Devices, Linear Technology, European STMICROELECTRONICS and NXP Semiconductors, Japanese Renesas Electronics and Saito Seisakusho.

What is the Russian "Orlan"

Configured radio frequency receiver - Analog Devices, USA

Microcontroller - Microchip Technology, USA

Atheater - Renesas Electronics Corporation, Japan

COM module-Gumstix, USA

Telecommunication transformer - Pulse Electronics Corporation, USA

Connector - jst mfg, Japan

Ethernet Controller-Microchip Technology, USA

Gyrostabilizer - TDK Corporation, Japan

Pressure sensor - NXP Semiconductors, Netherlands

Navigation module-U-Blox, Switzerland

Power module - Texas Instruments, USA

Power amplifier - Qorvo, USA

MMIC amplifier - Qorvo, USA

Microcontroller - Stmicroelectronics, Switzerland

Integral scheme - Semtech Corporation, USA

Pav-filter-Tai-Saw Technology, Taiwan

DC converter module - Traco Power Company, Switzerland

Power amplifier - Qorvo, USA

Engine - Saito Seiaskusho, Japan

Memory map - Sandisk Corporation, USA

Video deed - Texas Instruments, USA

Programmable matrix - Altera, USA

Video coder - ANALOG DEVICES, USA

Flash memory chip-Microchip Technology, USA

Voltage regulator - Texas Instruments, USA

Voltage regulator - Analog Devices Inc, USA

Voltage regulator - Linear Technology Corporation, USA

Microcontroller - Stmicroelectronics, Switzerland

Audio Code - Texas Instruments, USA

Wi-Fi module-Texas Instruments, USA

Programmable matrix - Xilinx, USA

Microcontroller - Microchip Technology, USA

Data provided by the Government of Ukraine

It is clear that none of these companies should supply the Russian defense industry today with their spare parts. But the issue is resolved if between the Western supplier and the Russian recipient to build a chain of intermediaries. Having studied the financial and customs documents related to the manufacturer of the Orlanov, we revealed this chain.

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Russian recipient

“Yes, we are under sanctions, yes, there were some fears, but I did not notice the consequences. Although no, and there were consequences. We have become a more authoritative company, we began to use great respect - they just do not give sanctions in the same way. They were awarded sanctions from one of the strongest powers of the world - only this should be proud of it, ”Alexei Terentyev told the correspondent of“ important stories ”. He is one of the owners of the St. Petersburg company "Special Technological Center" (STC), which makes "eagles". “We were ambitious, tried to use the best,” which is why there are so many foreign components in the Russian drone, he explained.

In reality, about the “best” is an exaggeration. Foreign components are far from the most modern. “This is a Russian strategy to use outdated technologies in weapons, which is not followed by export control,” says Eric Woods, an expert at the James Martin name Center for Non -Proliferation. As “important stories” found out, part of the CTC’s components are purchased in a quite peaceful Russian network of Citilink (about 300 million rubles from January to May this year).

STC was founded in 2001. Its creators were mainly graduates of the Budyonny Military Academy of Communications, recalls a former employee of the company. In 2012, the revenue of the StC began to grow rapidly - at about this time, army KAMAZs began to appear in the parking lot near her office, the basis of the Orlan complex. Sometimes there were so many of them that there was no place for parking, a former employee complains. Over ten years, revenue increased by almost 10 times and amounted to 14 billion rubles last year.

Under the American sanctions, the STC fell in 2016 for "helping GRU in conducting a radio electronic intelligence." Stc makes not only “eagles” - there is, for example, data that she developed a Monokle spy program for smartphones. Only in 2022, the STC received more than three billion rubles under contracts with the GRU.

Another law, “On counteracting the opponents of America through sanctions,” adopted in 2017, defined the STC as part of the Russian intelligence complex and banned any “significant” transactions with the company.

On the website of the Academy of Communications there are pages of two co -owners of the StC - already familiar to us by Colonel Alexei Terentyev and Oleg Tsarik . They are experts in radio intelligence and authors of many dozen inventions.

But today, the STC is primarily busy with "eagles." “Due to the high demand of the“ eagles ”, we have no resources to do something else now. The need for them is much more than we can produce, ”Colonel Terentyev told“ important stories ”.

Printing fee "Orlan" photo: provided by the Ukrainian authorities Printing fee "Orlan" photo: provided by the Ukrainian authorities

Russian intermediary

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I have never heard about this company, ”-this is the general director of the Stts Roman Agafonnikov answered the request of the correspondent of“ important stories ”to tell about his main supplier of foreign components, the SMT-Ailogic company (it is interesting, by the way, that Agafonnikov has Ukrainian roots; his father, Dmitry Agafonnikov, was born in Ukraine, which Russia is now pursued with the help of drones). Terentyev also did not want to recall the SMT-Ailogic, although, according to the register, it was one of its founders.

SMT-Ailogic calls itself one of the largest suppliers of electrical equipment and spare parts in Russia. Since 2017, the company imported products to Russia by about $ 70 million (about 4.5 billion rubles), and the annual supplies of supplies have grown ten times during this time.

SMT-Ailogic is a supplier sharpened under one client. It supplies with the components of the sunsances, which is its main buyer (last year it was provided by about 80% of the revenue). On the other hand, for the SMT-Ailogic STC is the main seller (in January-May this year, the StC paid her about 1.4 billion rubles, more than any of other suppliers).

Whose products were purchased by SMT-Ailogic after the outbreak of war in 2022

ANALOG DEVICES (USA) - $ 4 210 883

Xilinx (USA) - $ 3 389 763

Texas Instruments (USA) - $ 2 458 706

Getac (Taiwan) - $ 2 424 582

Guangzhou Ausay Technology (China) - $ 1 034 537

Microchip Technology (USA) - $ 821 883

Micron Technology (USA) - $ 788 292

Mini-Circuits (USA)-$ 675 356

Altera (USA) - $ 392 979

Stmicroelectronics (Switzerland) - $ 297 431

SMT-Ailogic was founded shortly after the annexation of Crimea, in 2015. About two years, she had common co -owners with HTC, but then the obvious connection was torn. Now the SMT-Ailogic is possibly recorded in the registry not on those who are actually belonging.

So, one of the co-owners, Irina Khrestsova is actually a therapist. Perhaps she is the spouse of one of the employees of the StC Pavel Khresetsov (in addition to the general name, they also have the same registration address). "What can I know about this?" - She told the correspondent of “important stories” in response to the question of the import of foreign components into Russia.

Three more co-owners “SMT-Ailogic”-Arkady Sleutenkov, Irina Shikhaleva and Alexander Shepilov-are on the list of employees of the StC for 2021. Sleutenkov did not answer the questions of “important stories”. Shikhaleva said that she was “in no way” with the import of components to Russia and hung up the phone.

At least 16 people in 2021 worked immediately in both companies-Stts and SMT-Ailogic. Not to mention the fact that both companies in St. Petersburg have a common address (17 unconquered Avenues) and the phone. When calling him, an employee of the STC answered him, who confirmed that the SMT-Ailogic is “nearby”.

The general director of SMT-Ailogic, Alexander Belyaev, refused to talk with the correspondent of “important stories”.

Photo: mil.ru

Chinese intermediary

The Russian Anton Trofimov has a page now closed in the blocked hostile network Linkedin. It says that he studied in China, and several of his projects in Vladivostok-spa and cafe, as well as the “Gentlemen Club” in the Tigre de Crystal casino (club concept -erotic show) are listed.

But Trofimov has more risky hobbies. He is the owner of the Hong Kong Asia Pacific Links, the main supplier of foreign components "SMT-Ailogic". ASIA Pacific Links office is located in a shabby building in Hong Kong alleys; There are no signs, but the person at the reception confirmed that the company with this name really shares one of the rooms with three other tenants here, and from time to time some “foreigner” goes to the office.

Since 2017, Asia Pacific Links has supplied SMT-Ailogic with components of $ 12 million, and about half of this amount was for the period from the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Which companies of ASIA Pacific Links were delivered by SMT-Ailogic in 2022

ANALOG DEVICES (USA) - $ 1 810 583

Texas Instruments (USA) - $ 640 514

Micron Technology (USA) - $ 573,677

Xilinx (USA) - $ 237 539

Microchip Technology (USA) - $ 203,385

Stmicroelectronics (Switzerland) - $ 177 178

Mini Circuits (USA) - $ 153,487

Vishay (USA) - $ 120 086

CyPress Semiconductor (USA) - $ 100 372

Peregrine Semiconductor (USA) - $ 86 388

Almost all the goods that the SMT-Ailogic imported to Russia arrived from China. The customs data indicates that these goods of non -unified purpose.

On his page in Linkedin, Trofimov indicates that he lives in Canada, in Toronto. His house is located in the Ist York area and favorably differs from the Old Hong Kong office. But it was not possible to find him at home, and he did not answer the letter by e -mail.

Not only Hong Kong

Anton Trofimov also has New Blockchain Advisory in Macau, which he owns with a Ukrainian citizen Stepan Mostov. This company sold components of the St. Petersburg "Device Consulting". The latter is a small supplier of the same STC.

American intermediary

Igor Deman stands on the threshold of his house in Florida in a T -shirt and shorts. He does not understand why the journalists became interested in them. Yes, he supplied electronic components to Russia, but the supply of supplies were small: “I don’t think this is such a big problem. I don’t think you need to write about it. ”

Everyone, also known as Alex Stanton, has both Russian and American citizenship. His company IK Tech, the office of which is located right at his house, from 2018 to 2021 put in Russia goods at $ 2.2 million. More than 90% of them were orders of SMT-Ailogic. Among these goods were, for example, almost 1,400 GUM3703FEBY processor modules Gumstix manufactured - exactly the same were found in Russian “eagles” in Ukraine.

In February of this year, two weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, everyone was arrested on charges of smuggling of military and dual -purpose products to Russia. At the trial, he said that he began to conduct business with Russia after a meeting with some Russian managers at a conference on satellites in 2016. They bowed it to the supply of products bypassing export restrictions.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Manufacturers are not answered

“We strictly observe all the laws and sanctions, we don’t supply anything for Russian military equipment, and if someone supplies, we don’t know anything about it, but we are very condemned,” the official answers of the world manufacturers, who considered it necessary to answer our requests-Saito Seisakusho, Texas Instruments, Amd (it owns the Xilinx bride). Analog devices did not answer the request. Gumstix promised to conduct an investigation.

For violation of the rules of export control, criminal liability is provided . “If an American or European company sells components subject to export control, a suction for a legal entity is a road to prison. Licensing bodies will never give permission to such transactions, ”says Eric Woods from the Center for Research in the field of non -proliferation. But what if deliveries go through an intermediary in a third country, and components do not fall under export control? “They will hardly be pursued for such a manufacturer. If only the seller did not lie in export declarations. But usually nothing is done in such cases, ”Woods admits.