AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING RUSSIA’S MILITARY ??
#russiaukrainewar #militarytechnology
In this investigative report, we delve into the intricate web of microchip smuggling that fuels the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite sanctions intended to restrict the flow of Western technology, Russian missiles and drones continue to be armed with components sourced from American companies. Join us as we uncover the shadowy network of shell companies, middleman countries, and convoluted shipping routes used to evade sanctions and supply the Russian military. Explore the complexities of modern warfare and the challenges faced in regulating the global arms trade.
04:15 – Putin’s Missiles
06:01 – Russia Should Exhaust
08:28 – Dark Market
17:40 – Conclusion
Let me take a moment to present to you this missile, for it holds profound lessons. This is a Russian missile, adorned with wings, capable of traversing vast distances. These missiles have become synonymous with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, deployed with devastating effect upon railway stations and electric grids.
They fire them at Railway stations and electric grids and whenever something like this happens. investigators rush to the scene not only to recover the casualties to rush people to the hospital but also to sift through this debris. all this mangled metal and material, this missile debris contains important Clues.
Zoom in closer, and you’ll behold a remarkable sight: nestled within this missile lies a component bearing the emblem of a company known as VICOR, an American company. Throughout this harrowing conflict, investigators have delved deep into this debris, seeking to unravel the enigma of Russia’s missile production:
What ingredients fuel their weaponry, and whence do they originate? Indeed, without the contributions of Western technology, Russia wouldn’t be able to build missiles and it’s not just one power converter from VICOR. this missile is packed with microelectronics the key most sophisticated parts of the missile that come from the West.
Consider, if you will, the communication controller, made by ZILOG, another illustrious American company. Or the guidance system, powered by three microprocessors, all three made by the American company Texas Instruments and then of course the brains of the whole thing the microchips, they’re made by Intel the American chip
Giant that is currently being subsidized by the US government to make more chips. Investigative efforts by the Ukrainian government, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and others have revealed a startling truth: Russia’s weaponry relies heavily upon 450 Western-made components, the majority of which hail from the United States. These are indispensable elements, beyond Russia’s ability to produce independently.
(we know that the Russian systems from their most basic systems to their most sophisticated systems are critically dependent on Western microelectronics) Ukraine, recognizing this stark reality, endeavors to fortify its defenses with Western air defense systems, thereby intercepting missiles made possible by Western microchips.
In our investigation, we delved into how Western technology finds its way into Russian weapons, sneaking through a shadowy network of shell companies, fake identities, and convoluted shipping routes, all aimed at dodging sanctions and landing in front companies for the Russian military. Much of this illicit tech eventually
Ends up in missiles, drones, and other deadly weapons used to invade Ukraine and claim lives. It’s a clear example of modern warfare, where computer technology meant for peaceful purposes is weaponized and funneled through the complex global economy. We aim to shed light on this issue and explore possible solutions. Now, we’re
Diving to unpack this thing that has been like deep on our minds for several months now which is the shadowy smuggling Market that is getting American and Western Tech into Russia, get ready. [Putin’s Missiles] Now, let’s talk about Putin’s missiles. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vladimir Putin’s
Forces have unleashed over 5,000 cruise missiles on Ukraine. what happened is Russia wasn’t able to conquer Ukraine in the first month or two, in October 2022 Russia came up with this new tactic. it will use missiles to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and kill Ukraine’s economy and
Force people to negotiate. these missiles have killed thousands of civilians. they’ve leveled homes and communities and they’ve destroyed the economy and daily life of many ukrainians. so in response to this Invasion, the West not only provided weapons and aid to Ukraine but
Also attempted to cut Russia off from the global economy, including crucial microelectronics that they need to build their missiles to build their weapon systems. this is what sanctions do it makes it illegal for a company like Texas instrument or Intel
To sell their microchips to Russia, again Russia can’t make this stuff on their own so the idea was that if you could cut Putin off of the chips, then he would eventually run out of the ingredients he needed to continue to make missiles and other weapon systems
That he was using in Ukraine. at least that’s what they thought would happen. Russia has been able to produce more missiles in 2023 than was able to produce in 2022. [they should exhaust] Russia didn’t exhaust its arsenal; instead, the missiles continued to soar, and drones persisted in their onslaught.
(well tonight a third of Ukraine is without power after Russia destroyed power stations in the last 8 days) To uncover the truth behind these attacks, Ukrainian investigators have been Gathering remnants of Russian weaponry, bringing them to missile graveyards such as the one provided access by the Kyiv Independent team.
Within these graveyards, investigators meticulously dissect the wreckage, and look inside to understand how these Russian weapons work to try to gain an advantage in this war, but what they found was surprising. They uncovered a startling revelation: components sourced from American companies like Texas Instruments and Analog Devices were consistently present. Despite economic sanctions
Intended to sever the flow, investigators encountered the same scenario repeatedly: USA and Western technology clandestinely making its way into Russian missiles and drones. These chips are indispensable for critical functions such as guidance systems, wireless communication, and targeting—components that Russia lacks the capability to produce independently.
The question arises: How does the Russian military manage to obtain Western microelectronics despite sanctions that explicitly prohibit such transactions? The answer lies within this map. [dark market] This map offers a glimpse into a clandestine network—a dark market employed by Russia to keep vital technology
Secretly flowing into Russian weapons. this Tech travels through the veins of the global economy using loopholes shell companies and convoluted shipping routes to escape these sanctions. It’s crucial to understand that this map represents only a fraction of the entire network—a dark market that eludes easy detection and reporting. However,
Through the remarkable investigative efforts of organizations such as Reuters, RUSI, the Kiv Independent, the Financial Times, and others, we’ve managed to piece together a clearer picture of how Russia gets its hands on these microchips. Let’s begin our investigation in New York City, where two companies operating as
Electronic components distributors were registered in Brooklyn. Interestingly, both entities were owned by the same trio of individuals who operated under aliases like Nick Stevens or Geo Ross. These companies have been shipping millions of dollars worth of electronics from various locations in New York to several middleman countries.
Countries that have no rules about sending stuff to Russia, from there this technology was then shipped into Russia to a company that makes weapons for the Russian military. when these guys got busted, investigators found that the specific microchips that they were shipping into Russia were the specific chips that Russia
Uses for various weapon platforms that they’re using in their war in Ukraine. in another intriguing case, a Singapore-based company starts buying American microchips from the US and selling $250,000 worth of chips to a company inside of Russia who seemingly
Has nothing to do with the Russian government. that company then sold them to another Russian company called Robin trade, but it turns out that Robin trade is just one of many fake companies that sells to yet another fake company called Serniya Engineering,
That we now know is actually just a front for the Russian spy agency, the FSB. this convoluted daisy chain of like fake companies is used to hide the fact that the FSB, the Russian intelligence agency is procuring chips through this
Network. to make it look like this was some civilian tech company importing these chips. one of the greatest Tools in this network is the shell company. the fact that in our global economy you can make a company by signing a few papers and
Paying a fee and then you can start doing business under the name of that company. like there was this one a German computer parts company, previously engaged in selling technology to Russia, found itself barred from such transactions following Putin’s invasion and
Subsequent EU sanctions. so the German company starts selling chips to this shell company in Turkey which immediately turns around and sells them right to Russia. custom records show that in just 7 months this new Turkish company sent $20 million worth of computer parts
To Russia. including us-made microchips and the missiles just kept on bombing the city. (Ukraine says Russia has fired at least 80 missiles at Targets across the country as part of an overnight bombardment) It’s fascinating to observe how many of these middlemen countries are facilitating
The trafficking of chips to evade sanctions, and this has given a lot of attention to to a bunch of random countries that were never a part of this technology trade before. Take, for instance, the Maldives this island nation that is much more known for like
Instagrammable vacation photos they had no real semiconductor microchip industry before this. and yet right after Putin’s Invasion the Maldives started seeing ships arrive with hundreds of thousands of microchips, arriving at their ports only to immediately turn around and head for Russia.
But when they pull into the port they do have to register with the custom agents and so we have Customs records which shows us where this stuff is coming from. these records show us that a lot of these chips are coming from a company registered in Hong Kong,
But who was owned by a company in Singapore. Interestingly, this Singaporean entity is, in turn, owned by a company registered in the Seychelles Islands. Adding to the intrigue is the revelation that the Hong Kong-based company, uncovered by a Reuters journalist, operates from an empty office adorned with numerous
Boxes. What’s more, this company boasts only one officer—a Spanish citizen who happens to own an airplane club in Catalonia. yet, somehow this company is responsible for over $200 million of electronics being sent to Russia including $50,000 of Intel and AMD microchips and as we saw much of it flowing through the Maldives.
Absolutely, the intricate workings of this scheme become evident. While it may be legal for individuals to dispatch microchips from the United States to Russia, the presence of shell companies operating within intermediary nations not subject to sanctions provides a convenient loophole. This allows for the circumvention of regulations with relative ease.
Do you grasp the mechanism at play here? it is legal for someone to send microchips from the United States of America to Russia but when you have shell companies in middlemen countries that are not a part of the sanctions you can kind of get around that pretty easily.
In China, there’s a company named King Pai Technology employing a similar tactic. They procure Western microchips from companies in countries like India, subsequently selling them to Russian entities known for conducting business with the Russian military. When the United States government caught wind of this operation, they took action, placing King Pai Technology
On the sanctions list, prohibiting American companies from supplying them with microchips. However, King Pai Technology found a way around this setback. They’ve established a network of shell companies, primarily owned by individuals named Yao Jinbiao and Yao Zehong. Despite crackdowns on their operations, they continue to funnel Western microchips to the
Russian military under different aliases. Even if one of their shell companies faces repercussions, they simply shift operations to another entity, ensuring continuity of their illicit activities. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse—today you’re King Pai Technology, tomorrow you’re 3HC Semiconductor. Enforcers find themselves trapped in a relentless cycle of crackdowns and
Reemergence. Shell companies are easily disposable entities, mere pieces of paper, making enforcement a tedious, complex, and slow process. Furthermore, middleman countries such as the Maldives often lack the incentive to address these issues. For them, increased traffic through their ports translates to economic benefits, with little regard for the illicit nature of the transactions.
Consider Russia’s neighbor Kazakhstan, where Imports of microchips mysteriously doubled after Russia’s fullscale Invasion. Smugglers exploit such nations as conduits, as seen with a Dutch individual using Kazakhstan to ship microchips to Russia under the guise of a different destination. The situation becomes even more blatant in countries like Kyrgyzstan,
Virtually unknown to many, who saw a huge increase in the their imports from Germany after all these sanctions went into place. almost a 1,000% increase which like they’re not complaining this just means more activity of imports from other countries even
Though we all kind of know that they’re just a middleman for smuggling stuff into Russia now. [conclusion] So, that’s the crux of the matter. Despite the sanctions intended to prevent it, Russia continues to acquire Western-made microchips, fueling their war machine. government was a plea for help. it was a sounding of the
Alarm Bells it was given to Western diplomats at a summit to basically say hey guys thanks for all the money that you’re giving to us the weapons the anti-missile and anti-air defenses. but you’re also giving technology to our enemy those drones and missiles that
We’re shooting down with your defenses they also have your technology in them. In essence, the United States finds itself in the paradoxical position of providing weapons to defend Ukraine from threats enabled by technology sourced from American companies. However, if we manage to break this chain,
Ukraine’s dependency on support from the United States would decrease. Essentially, the United States currently finds itself in the peculiar situation of supplying weapons to defend Ukraine against threats facilitated by technology sourced from American companies. there isn’t any immediate solution but what we can do is we can just
Gut up their supply chains we can arrest their Intelligence Officers, we can introduce crap into their supply chain,we can just make it longer more difficult more expensive. This story serves as a valuable lesson in understanding the evolution of warfare in our modern era. It sheds light on how large-scale conflicts operate in today’s
World, highlighting the crucial role that seemingly insignificant silicon chips play in modern warfare. Moreover, it underscores the belief held by those who manufacture these chips that they are the gatekeepers, capable of controlling access to this essential technology and thereby influencing global dynamics.
What we’re witnessing is that, despite efforts by the US and its allies to regulate the distribution of microchips, they struggle to do so comprehensively. The intricate nature of the global economy presents significant challenges, making it exceedingly difficult to fully control
The flow of these vital components. and yet that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t keep trying. Indeed, when we discuss safeguarding the lives of civilians, we confront a challenge that is both daunting and yet within our capacity to address. While it’s undeniably complex, it remains
A problem with solutions within reach. What resonates with me is the realization that taking action, even on an individual level, can make a tangible difference in saving innocent lives. We earnestly hope that individuals, whether in the United States, Europe, or elsewhere,
Share this sentiment—that the protection of innocent lives is a cause worth pursuing wholeheartedly. It’s a shared responsibility, and by collectively acknowledging the value of every human life, we can work towards creating a safer and more compassionate world for all. thank you for watching