NATO countries sell military technology and equipment to Russia despite sanction restrictions

As Russian military operations continue in Ukraine more and more violations of the military and dual-use goods sanctions are revealed. While analyzing destroyed and captured Russian war equipment the facts of using foreign components in Russian weaponry produced after 2014 were established. These very facts confirmed European companies’ violation of the ant-Russian military-industrial complex sanctions imposed by the EU Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP of July 31, 2014. In addition, it may signal about backroom deals between the Kremlin and some European governments as for military and dual-use goods supply.

For example, a Russian optical-electronic night rangefinder binoculars produced in 2019 is equipped with a compass from the Swiss company Vectronix, recently purchased by the French defense company Safran. The thermal imaging matrix of the product was manufactured by Ulis Pico 540046. In addition, Russia bought a batch of this matrix for use in the Orlan-10 UAV.

Safran also supplied infrared imaging systems for the Ka-52 helicopters.

After the complete dismantling of the Russian military reconnaissance drone and artillery gunner Orlan-10 (manufactured in 02.20220), captured in the East of Ukraine, there was found in its suspension a modern dual-purpose thermal imaging matrix Lynred PYCO-640-046 (Ulis) made in France. This component is responsible for the main tasks of Russian weapons such as identification of living targets for their further elimination. A serial number of Orlan-10 models are equipped with the FPGA chip made in the USA.

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The serial number on the matrix will help to identify sanctions circumvention schemes and the companies involved in the business.

The Russian Sych-3M thermal imager is also equipped with a French Ulis balometer.

The Russian infantry combat system ‘Ratnik’ uses a civilian high-accuracy tablet computer (geodesic equipment) made by the German company Leika CS25. Based on the differences in color and case material, we can state that a modified no-logo batch of the device was delivered to Russia as a military equipment. This fact may indicate that the Kremlin wants to hide evidence of European components supplies in the interests of the Russian defense industry.

The French company Thales supplied a wide range of thermal imaging devices for Russian tanks and armored vehicles. For example, the BMD-4 is equipped with thermal imaging systems and guidance systems. At the same time, the company production facility has been organized at a plant in Vologda (Russia), where France supplied individual components and licensed them during the sanction period.

According to the French publication Disclose, during 2015-2020 France sent military development, including infrared detectors for combat aircraft and thermal imagers for tanks, to the amount of more than 152 million euros. France accounts for 44% of European weapon exports to Russia. Since 2015, France has given a green light to export military equipment from the category “bombs, missiles, torpedoes, explosive devices”, as well as “equipment, aircraft with their components. The French Armed Forces ministry confirmed that France had allowed the execution of certain contracts concluded before 2014. The embargo allowed countries to fulfil contracts they had signed with Russia before 2014, giving France and other EU states up until 2020 to provide Moscow with its military ammunition.

In addition, the French exported ‘thermal cameras for more than 1,000 Russian tanks, navigation systems and infrared detectors for fighter jets and attack helicopters’. The semi-state companies Safran and Thales supplied the mentioned equipment.

After sanction pressure increase caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, French President Macron called on these companies to suspend activity but stay in Russia.The number of licenses issued by France jumped in 2015, immediately after the embargo imposed. Germany has also licensed arms export for Russia to the amount of 121.8 million euros. The export list includes rifles and special protected vehicles, labeled simply as “dual use” vehicles. The analysis shows that France started issuing more licenses to Russia just after 2014, and the license peak dates back to 2015. Thus, Paris was given an opportunity to move part of the production to Russia and circumvent the sanctions. In the period 2014-2016, Macron served as the French Minister of the Economy, and his office was supposed to deal with license sales.

In particular, the French export of ‘chemical agents’, ‘biological agents’, ‘radioactive materials, related equipment, components and material’ deserves special consideration. Paris could not control the further use of these materials in Russia; it means that these agents could be used in production of prohibited weapons.

In 2015 Henri Proglio, the chairmanship of defense group Thales was a board member of ABR Management, part of Russian Bank Russia, which is subject to U.S. sanctions against Russia. According to Le Monde, he also sat on the boards of two companies tied to Rosatom.

Thus, license and components sale deals, circumventing the 2014 sanctions, were made in parallel with Russian influence agents’ infiltration into French defense companies.

Moreover, a corruption factor can also play the tune, since the French government of Emmanuel Macron has significant stakes in French defense contractors such as Thales and Safran.

Foreign-made microcircuits are also used in Russian cruise missiles. For example, some of them are equipped with Altera Flex programmable chips.

According to the Council on Conventional Arms Exports (COARM), despite clear official statements, at least a third of the 27 EU countries continued supplying sanctioned materials and equipment in the period of 2015-2020. Most of them used a loophole allowing the execution of “contracts entered into prior to 1 August 2014 or ancillary contracts necessary for these contracts to be fulfilled’ (Article 2, EU 2014/512/CFSP EU 2014/512/CFSP).

The use of loopholes in sanction restrictions and deliberate sanction circumvention gave European producers a green light to build up Russia’s military potential, improve the combat performance of Russian equipment and provide Moscow with technologies to counter the West.In case of an armed conflict between Russia and NATO countries, Europe will have to fight against Russian weaponry, sophisticated with Western equipment.