INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
an adapted variation of an investigationby the Belarusian Investigative Center.A Belarusian state-owned company is supplying Russia with
microchips needed to build rockets utilizing Western equipment, elements and basic materials in defiance of worldwide sanctions, a new
examination by the Belarusian Investigative Center has revealed.The Western sanctions troubled Russia in response to its full-blown invasion
of Ukraine were designed to cut off Moscows access to the technology and products needed to produce missiles and precision weapons.At first,
it seemed like they were working
In November 2022, Ukraines then-Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikovsaidthat the Kremlin had just 119 Iskander missiles overlooked of the 900
that it had at the start of the intrusion
The variety of other accuracy rockets had likewise decreased.Two years later, in December 2024, Andriy Yusov, a representative for Ukraines
GUR military intelligence service, saidthat Russia had actually increased its stockpile of rockets seriously based on foreign components in
spite of routinely shelling Ukraine
He said Russia was producing some 50 Iskanders a month and was also building up its stockpile of other kinds of missiles.Why does not the
rocket stockpile run out?Following a meeting with Vladimir Putin in October 2022, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko saidthe Russian
leader revealed a preparedness to pay any amount of cash for a microelectronics product.A year later, Ukrainian electronic devices and
weapons expert Serhii Beskrestnovpublishedphotos of the Zarya-61M onboard computer module utilized in Russian rockets on his Telegram
This managing device consists of 4 primary printed circuit boards.Yes, whatever is outdated
But alas, it is made completely from Russian parts
It is produced, it flies, it eliminates, hewrote.The BIC examined the photographs released by Beskrestnov and found that not all of the
electronic devices in the gadget were Russian-made
Some chips show a logo in the shape of a lightning bolt or the Cyrillic letter a hallmark of Belarusian state-owned business Integral.The
Zarya-61M onboard computer module.@serhii_flashAn confidential Ukrainian serviceman who runs a YouTube channel that examines rocket
electronics validated the use of Integral microchips in Russian weapons
On his YouTube channel, the serviceman shows these elements in theR-37, Kh-59M2A, S-300, Kh-101andIskanderrockets
The Ukrainian serviceman informed the BIC that half of the chips in the latter 2 missiles were produced by Integral
As you can see in the images, some were released in 2023
Ukraines SBU security service likewise confirmed to the BIC that parts manufactured by Integral are utilized in Russian missiles.President
Vladimir Putin and BelarusPresident Alexander Lukashenko.kremlin.ruThis implies that Russia can continue to fire rockets at Ukraine, thanks
in part to supplies from Belarus
In total, Integral shipped more than 6 million microchips worth more than$130 million to Russia between March 2022 and June 2024, according
to customs data readily available to the BIC
By contrast, the overall value of Belarusian microchip shipments to Russia throughout this duration was just over$165 million
That is, Integral supplied 80%of them.Since the major invasion of Ukraine, Integrals incomes have actually skyrocketed
In 2023, the companys net earnings was more than 11 times higher than in 2022 practically 150 million Belarusian rubles(about$50 million)
That is 40 times Integrals 2021 incomes
Data for 2024 was not yet publicly available at the time of publication.Customers from the Russian military-industrial complexThe BIC
examined Integrals consumers from March 2022 to July 2024 and discovered that Smolensk-based Integral-Zapad was the biggest Russian
purchaser of its microchips during this period, buying$31.3 million worth of items
The business has no direct relate to Belarusian Integral, but it is owned by a Belarusian resident
The companys websitereportedcooperating with the Russian Defense Ministry until July 2022
Thewebsitewas undergoing a redesign at the time of publishing this investigation.The second-largest buyer was Russias
Spets-Elektronkomplekt, which bought$30 million worth of microchips from Integral
The business website does not supply info on defense industry links
However, the companys partner, the major Russian microchip manufacturer Angstrem, sayson its site that Spets-Elektronkomplekt was certified
by the Defense Ministry in 1998 and got Leader-Follower Certificate No
1(an authorities acknowledgment as a trusted supplier to the military-industrial complex)
Petersburg-based subsidiary of the Belarusian business Integral, is another significant buyer, acquiring $16.8 million worth of chips
Its CEO Vladimir Lazovsky has actually openlystatedthat the Russian military-industrial complex is one of its primary clients
In 2021, the company got a certificate of conformity from the Oboronsertifika system
It was targeted by EU sanctions following the full-blown invasion of Ukraine.Remains of Russian missile Iskander-M near the city of
Kramatorsk in Ukraine.National Police of UkraineIn addition to the above, Integral provided products to Russian companies Innovatsionnye
Tekhnologii, which purchased$16.7 countless microchips, Don, which purchased$9.5 countless products, and Radiant-EK, which acquired$5.3
These companies are likewise connected to the Russian defense industry.Western equipmentBelarusian and Russian state TV reports in 2024
information how Integral uses Western devices
The footageincludesGerman-made Carl Zeiss Axiotron microscopic lens for chip quality control, SwissVAT Vakuumventilevalves and
BritishEdwardsvacuum systems for keeping sterility in production processes.Also on screen areDISCO Corporations Japanese slicers for micron
accuracy wafer separation andHORIBAs material analysis equipment
U.S.-madeCascade Microtechs( FormFactor )test systems, which can be used to examine the performance of microchips before they are put
together, are also demonstrated.Integrals main cataloguestatesthat it makes products utilizing Western devices
The operation of this equipment is dependent on aconstantsupply of Western basic materials and elements, without which its usage is
Sanctions forbid the sale of Western basic materials and elements to Belarus.Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia after Russian strike with
Iskander K missile.National Police of UkraineThe value of these elements is validated by data from the internal correspondence of
Roselektronika, part of the Russian state corporation Rostec, Russias largest arms maker: In the existing political and financial
environment, the main suppliers of third-party elements, such as AO Girikond, AO NZPP Vostok, and AO Elekond, have increased the shipment
time to 540 days, which is 150%of the performance time of the supply agreement for items to be delivered to AO SKTB RT
Also, suppliers of active components, such as AO Gruppa Kremniy-EL, AO Angstrem, AO VZPP-S, OAO Integral, which depend on the supply of
imported materials and chemicals, discover it hard to guarantee the fulfillment of deliveries to AO SKTB RT, checks out the file, which we
got thanks to the Organized CrimeandCorruptionReporting Project(OCCRP )
However, regardless of EU andU.S.sanctionsrestricting the supply of strategic dual-use products and devices to Belarus, Integral continues
to receive required parts and basic materials from EU countries.Hydrochloric acid for IntegralOne of the critical products for Integral is
high-purity hydrochloric acid, also referred to as hydrogen chloride.Hydrochloric acid isusedto reward semiconductor wafers
This procedure guarantees ideal tidiness and smoothness
These are essential specifications for the deposition of complex chip structures
Even the smallest quantity of contamination on the wafers can cause problems and minimized item quality.Products of the SP AO Integral
Spb.SP AO Integral SpbIn 2021, hydrochloric acid with a purity of 99.999%was provided to Integral by the German company UrSeCo Handels.But a
brand-new delivery scheme emerged in 2022, when sanctions banned the chemical from going into Russia
The materials travelled through Poland and Turkey to Kazakhstan before reaching Belarus
A regional company, United Trading Group, is the recipient of the acid in Kazakhstan
Behind the huge name is a company with just one staff member
It was founded a couple of weeks after the outbreak of the full-scale war
It provided Russia, especially Siltron and Elektrosnab, with the very same high-purity acid.These two business provided acid with the same
In the case of deliveries from Elektrosnab to Integral, the place of manufacture is specified as remaining in Germany.Coincidences in the
dates and volumes of successive sanction-evading shipments from Germany to Russia along the chain we have actually described may suggest
that the very same German acid was coming from Germany to Russia.In specific, on June 9, 2022, Germanys UrSeCo Handels provided 860 kgs of
high-purity hydrochloric acid produced by Germanys Wacker Chemie to Kazakhstans United Trading Group
The exact same month, United Trading Group delivered a consignment of the same Germany-made compound of specifically the exact same weight
to the Russian company Elektrosnab
Elektrosnab supplied German acid to Integral till the end of 2023
In July 2024, the EU enforced sanctions banning the supply of German acid not just to Russia, through which it had actually been supplied to
Integral considering that the full-scale invasion, however also to Belarus
The Russian company Siltron, established less than three months after the invasion of Ukraine, also began providing this chemical to the
In September 2024, the business offered it directly to Integral
In July of that year, an intermediary was used the Belarusian company Digna-NTR
Elimination of remains of a Russian missile Iskander K, which has actually fallen in Zaporizhzhia.National Police of UkraineUnited Trading
Group is officially noted as the acid producer in the deliveries from Kazakhstans company to Siltron
But this is barely the truth.Firstly, according to the officialregisterof business entities in Kazakhstan, the company has just one
worker(in the register, it is classified as micro-entrepreneurship)
Secondly, this micro-enterprises activities only consist of wholesale trade, not production
We also discovered no details that hydrochloric acid with a pureness of 99.999%is produced in Kazakhstan
In September 2023, the Kazakh government embraced adecreestating that the only hydrochloric acid manufacturer in the country is JSC Kaustik
The optimum available pureness of the compound at that time was 35 %
Ever since, there have been no reports of new production fulfilling the parameters.Finally, some deliveries of alleged Kazakh acid from
Siltron to Belarus were marked with the brand SEMICOSIL HLC 5.5
Wacker Chemie, a German concern, owns this hallmark
Integrals files relating to the acid purchase from Digna-NTR, which got the chemical from Siltron, list Germany as the location of acid
production.In July 2024, Siltron delivered two batches of acid to Digna-NTR: among 150 kilograms and the other of 100 kgs
In both shipments, Kazakhstan was suggested as the native land
At the exact same time, the compound brand name was German SEMICOSIL HLC 5.5
Digna-NTR, in turn, delivered the same total up to Integral
[*] Russias Siltron is straight linked with UrSeCo Handels, an acid provider from Germany
Both business are owned by members of the exact same household
The managing director and 45 %owner of the German business UrSeCo Handels is Alexander Andreyevich Zhdanov
In November 2023, an individual with the same surname Alexander Alexandrovich Zhdanov offered a loan to the Russian business Siltron
13, 2025, he also ended up being the owner of 90 %of this business, according to the Russian database of companies and business owners
SPARK.As the BIC discovered, Alexander Andreyevich and Alexander Alexandrovich Zhdanov are probably daddy and kid
The Russian passport database reveals they are from the same household
[*] [*] [*] WorkaroundsHydrochloric acid is one of many examples of how Integral continues to buy banned Western equipment, spare parts and
materials to prevent sanctions
Amongst the products and technologies crucial to Integral are MWM 2032 gas engines and extra parts
These German motors guarantee a stable power supply for production processes
Intermediary companies help the business prevent the export restriction to Belarus and Russia introduced in 2022
For example, in the spring of 2024, the company purchased extra parts for these engines 5 times through the Belarus-based companiesMotory i
Transmissiya, PromelcomandImperiya Zapad
20, 2024, Integralplaceda brand-new tender for the purchase of parts and spare parts for MWM engines for$300,000
Integrals suppliers validated the use of schemes to prevent the sanctions when called by BIC reporters posing as possible
customers.Sanctions are a non-issue, stated Illia Barouski, deputy head of Imperiya Zapad
He stated they also have their own company in Poland, which helps with the purchase of items, and these items are then sent from Poland to
Belarus, Russia, and other nations, at first imported from Poland
Promelcom founder Evgenii Kazakov said that sanctions circumvention schemes guarantee timely shipment of items: In regards to, we will
bring it quickly within a week or two
We have currently developed this
It ought to saythrough Kyrgyzstan
However its us who provides
Gaps in sanctionsAnother example of sanctions circumvention that BIC reporters found was thepurchaseof mini-electric motors manufactured by
the German company Faulhaber Group
In May 2024, Integral bought 44 such gadgets from the Chinese company Hebei Nanuo Alloy Material Co.Installation of the Iskander M
missile.Russian Defense MinistrySupplies of Western components allow Russia and Belarus to find out how to replicate them, which might be
harmful, Ukrainian air travel professional Anatolii Khrapchynskyi informed the BIC.There is an idea called re-engineering
This is when they copy some Western component: they take it apart, grind it down layer by layer, research study how it works and can
replicate it, Khrapchynskyi said.For a few of these parts, there is no need for this
Amongst Integrals purchases, BIC found Western elements that are not consisted of in the U.S
These consist of argon-ion lasers, polishing slurries, polishing wheels and parts utilized in the production of semiconductors and
microelectronics.And although Integrals main business is approved by the U.S., the EU has actually not included it to its list of
restrictions.BIC sent a demand to the European Commission and relevant regulators asking them to discuss the disparities in the sanctions
policy against Integral and its suppliers.Russia and Belarus are constantly looking for methods which to obtain crucial products for Russias
war in Ukraine in offense of sanctions, Tom Keatinge, directorof the Center for Finance and Security at the U.K.-based Royal United Services
Institute(RUSI), told the BIC.This undoubtedly implies that countries that surround Russia especially those that are members of the Eurasian
Economic Area will be associated with this evasion activity
Ukraines allies need to be harder in making use of the powers they have to name-and-shame and sanction those companies(and even entire
nations) that permit circumvention to happen
There has been a great deal of diplomatic dialogue, however at some point the talking needs to be backed up by action, he said.The BIC sent
out requests for comment to Integral and all participants in the supply chain Digna-NTR, Wacker Chemie, Elektrosnab, Siltron, United Trading
Group, and UrSeCo Handels about the sanctions offenses found by this examination
At the time of publication, we had actually not gotten any responses.
