Russia uses Kazakhstan to buy chips, drones for war in Ukraine – investigation

This is reported in a joint investigation by the Important Stories publication, the Project on Corruption and Organized Crime and Der Spiegel. 

Russia receives microelectronics and drones through Kazakh intermediaries. The largest technology companies have refused to supply directly to the aggressor, but they cannot control all their distributors. Therefore, as a rule, they can legally sell the goods to China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, or another country 'friendly' to Russia. And from there, it will be delivered to Russia and will go to defense companies, among others.

One of the main sellers of DJI drones in Russia is the Sky Mechanics company. Its customers include Rys, a veteran’s organization near Moscow (the founder is listed in the Ukrainian Myrotvorets or Peacemaker database), the Kamchatka Regional Council of War and Labor Veterans, and an Ozon store that buys for the Russian military.

Sky Mechanics itself receives drones from the Kazakhstani company Aspan Arba, which has been operating since April 2022. Its founder is Ilya Golberg, the owner of Sky Mechanics.

The Russian company Stek imports components for the production of electronics for the FSB, intelligence, and defense ministries. Its supplier is Da Group 22 from Kazakhstan, which buys chips from Germany's Elix-St. The Kazakh and German companies are owned by a family of Russian businessmen couple Evgeny Chernet and Elena Chernet.

• In early March, Bloomberg reported that Russian imports had largely returned to pre-war levels in 2020. An analysis of trade data suggests that modern chips and integrated circuits produced in the European Union and other countries are supplied to Russia through countries such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, and the UAE. Such goods can be used for both peaceful and military purposes.