Russians making their bombs with American components?
Bloomberg reports that Russia is able to obtain semiconductors from American companies.
The supply is done via the Texas Instruments (TI) online store, simply by placing an order. The Russian defense industry therefore continues to receive American components allowing it to manufacture war equipment, including gliding bombs, communication systems, drones and Iskander missiles. According to Bloomberg, certain documents make it possible to trace a circuit linking Silicon Valley, via front companies, to Moscow without the knowledge of the American electronics company Texas Instruments.
In addition, TI chips have been found in Russian Kinjal missiles and Lancet-3 attack drones, Le Monde reports. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, more than 4,000 Western components have been discovered by Ukrainian investigators in Russian weapons. Texas Instruments alone represents 14% of the total.
A US Senate investigation was published last September. The goal? To better understand how “American technology continues to find its way into Russian munitions”. TI was heavily criticized for “the lack of control” of its online sales.
(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: Le Monde - Illustration: Unsplash)