Western-made components have been and continue to be imported into Russia and are being used in weapons involved in suspected war crimes in Ukraine, according to a report published in late February 2023 by Ukraine’s Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) and partners.
Four weapons, ten cases
The report, “Enabling War Crimes,” examines four Russian weapons systems: Iskander and Kh-101 missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles and the Tornado-S multiple rocket launcher. It links them to ten case studies of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, a power plant and a pedestrian bridge in Kyiv, which it says killed 70 civilians and damaged more than 80 civilian objects.
Foreign parts
The authors compiled a dataset of more than 170 components bearing foreign branding found in Russian equipment, from companies based in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Taiwan. They identified more than 400 suspected war crimes involving weapons that rely on such components.
Citing research by the Royal United Services Institute and Reuters, the report said at least $777 million worth of Western-branded components flowed to Russia in the seven months to October 31, 2022.
Caveats and recommendations
The report does not allege legal wrongdoing by the manufacturers and acknowledges that some components may be counterfeit. It calls for a holistic review of sanctions and export controls, stronger corporate due diligence and end-user checks, and an international dialogue on stopping the flow of Western components to Russia.
Sources
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