Russia's Long-Time Tool, US Technology, Has Become a Vulnerability

 

Two men from a weapons tracking organization used magnifying glasses, screwdrivers, and a delicate touch from a soldering gun to pry open Russian weaponry and equipment that had been acquired across Ukraine.

The investigators dismantled every piece of modern Russian gear they could get their hands on over a week in Ukraine last month, including miniature laser range finders and cruise missile guidance parts.

Microchips, circuit boards, engines, antenna, and other equipment were determined to be nearly entirely made in the United States and the European Union, according to the researchers, who were invited by the Ukrainian security service to independently examine advanced Russian equipment.

“Advanced Russian weapons and communications systems have been built around Western chips,” said Damien Spleeters, one of the Conflict Armament Research scientists. He went on to say that Russian corporations had had "unrestricted access" to Western technologies for decades.

Microchips and other parts made by companies based in US and other Western nations are found in almost all captured Russian weapons and equipment in Ukraine, from encrypted radios to cruise missiles https://t.co/ZGUsVzrqhC

— Alfons López Tena 🦇 (@alfonslopeztena) June 2, 2022

Officials in the United States have long boasted about their country's ability to supply the rest of the world with technology and armaments. However, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February, the US has been confronted with an inconvenient reality: the weapons used by Russian forces to fight war are frequently driven by American innovation.

Despite the fact that American and European companies' technology has been used against Ukraine, the situation has provided the US and its allies with a significant source of leverage over Russia. According to American and European officials, the US and dozens of other nations have used export sanctions to halt shipments of advanced technology, limiting Russia's capacity to develop weapons to replace those lost in the fight.

The Biden administration announced further sanctions and restrictions on Russia and Belarus on Thursday, including the addition of 71 entities to a government list that bars them from purchasing advanced technology. Sanctions were also announced by the Treasury Department against a yacht management company that caters to Russian oligarchs.

While some observers have cautioned against jumping to conclusions too soon, stating that the measures will take time to fully take effect, the Biden administration has hailed them as a success.

Russia has had difficulty obtaining microchips to replenish its supply of precision-guided munitions since Western allies announced extensive restrictions on exports of semiconductors, computers, lasers, telecommunications equipment, and other goods in February, according to one senior US official, who, like most other officials interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters based on intelligence.

Direct technological exports from the United States and dozens of partner countries to Russia have been halted as a result of the limitations. However, they go beyond standard US government wartime sanctions by imposing restrictions on some high-tech commodities created anywhere in the world utilizing American machinery, software, or plans. That means that nations that aren't part of the sanctions alliance with the US and Europe must respect the guidelines or face their own sanctions.