US Tech, Russian Weapons: How Our Chips Power Putin's War

A report from Hunterbrook Media published on Tuesday presents a detailed investigation that reveals Western-manufactured microelectronic components are being integrated into Russian military aircraft and weapons used in precision attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. 

What To Know: The investigation by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) and the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), with support from Hunterbrook Media, traced over 1,100 microelectronic components from 141 Western companies embedded in Russian Su-34 and Su-35S fighter jets and weapons central to Moscow's precision bombing campaigns. 

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The components were from manufacturers across 11 countries, with the majority coming from U.S. chipmakers including Intel Corp. INTC, Texas Instruments Inc. TXN, Analog Devices Inc. ADI, On Semiconductor Inc. ON and Advanced Micro Devices AMD. 

The report reveals that despite international sanctions, a complex global supply chain continues to funnel Western technology into Russia. 

The investigation analyzed over 180,000 customs shipment records from 2023, revealing a trade worth approximately $805 million in microelectronic goods. 

Countries like Serbia play a key role as intermediaries, with sanctioned goods routed through places like Hong Kong and Sri Lanka before ending up in Russia. 

"Russia mastered the art of circumventing sanctions," said Anastasiya Donets, head of the Ukrainian legal team at IPHR. 

"They are still getting Western tech in Russian weapons that are killing Ukrainians every day," Donets added. 

What Else: Several U.S. semiconductor firms — including Analog Devices, Intel, Texas Instruments and AMD — faced scrutiny during a 2024 hearing of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, titled “The U.S. Companies' Technology Fueling the Russian War Machine.”

The hearing revealed that components from the companies were discovered in the Russian Kh-101 cruise missile responsible for the attack on Ukraine's largest children's hospital in 2024.

Senators identified critical shortcomings in the export control and compliance systems of the firms, including weak or delayed responses to external warnings about potential misuse and the absence of regular, systematic audits to detect and prevent diversion. 

Donets said that the companies with components used in Russia's attacks have "not only legal, but also a moral obligation" to prevent their technology from being used to kill innocent people. 

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