They come in swarms, usually at night or early in the morning: Russian Kamikaze drones of the ‘Shahed’ type, built in Iran. President Vladimir Putin sent 54 of them to the Kiev region. Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down most of them on the night of May 28. In other cases, things aren’t going so well: On June 10, three people were killed in a drone attack on a residential building in Odessa. Ten others were injured, some seriously, including a five-year-old child.
The remote-controlled killers are an integral part of the terror with which Russia covers Ukraine. In the past three months alone, Putin has unleashed more than 600 Shahed drones on Ukraine. Then there are the “Lancet” killer drones made in Russia. A flying bomb, which can be sent to the target with pinpoint accuracy even in the last few seconds via video control.
An international working group comprising teams from Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak and Michael McFaul, former US President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Russia, has now taken a closer look at Russian drones. They found a total of 176 components, which the Russians obtain abroad despite sanctions, as shown in the final report published at the end of August.
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This includes components sourced from Swiss companies or Swiss-based companies. A GPS receiver from the Swiss ETH spin-off “U-Blox” from Thalwil has been installed in the Lancet killer drone. The Shahed drone uses a microprocessor from Geneva-based technology giant STMicroelectronics. The reconnaissance drone Orlan 10 contains a power supply unit from the family business “Traco Power” from Zug.
Intelligence and Seco stopped several deliveries
The federal government is aware of the problem: the companies named in the Jermak-McFaul report had already been contacted last year. Since the sanctions were imposed, all signals of possible evasion transactions have been followed up, says Fabian Maienfisch, spokesperson for the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (Seco). In addition to Swiss customs, the intelligence service is also involved in the clarifications and there is intensive cooperation with other countries.
But how is it that despite this and more than a year after the initial reports, Swiss technology is still found in Putin’s drones? The problem lies in the fact that the Swiss components used are largely “ready-made” industrial mass-produced goods, which, unlike goods with a potential military purpose, are hardly subject to any restrictions.
In fact, the expert group report points out that many of the drone parts can be easily purchased from online marketplaces such as “Alibaba” or “AliExpress”. This availability poses a challenge and raises questions about the supervision and regulation of this trade.
Seco also tries to monitor trade flows in collaboration with the companies involved. But that is not so easy, especially if the distribution takes place abroad via third parties. Nevertheless, foreign traders who supplied critical goods to Russia have already been identified.
“Swiss companies no longer supply them,” says Seco spokesperson Maienfisch. Among other things, the forwarding of drones, carbon fabric for the construction of drones, chemicals, signal generators, electric drives and machine tools for armaments-related purposes to Russia could have been prevented.
The “Priority List of Critical Goods for Military Procurement Attempts” also includes processors and controllers or “devices for receiving, converting, transmitting, and transmitting or recovering voice, images, or other data.”
When trading these goods, the Seco warns in a leaflet about so-called alarm signals. Caution is especially advised when a new customer suddenly appears who demands larger quantities of goods on the priority list and is willing to pay significantly more than the usual market price. Or if a company was only founded after February 24, 2022, the start of the Russian war of aggression, and is located in a country outside the international sanctions coalition.
“Are shocked”: Affected companies fear for their reputation
The electronics manufacturer “U-Blox”, whose GPS navigation chip was found in the “Lancet” killer drone, is concerned about the research report. Spokesman Sven Etzold points out that U-Blox has strictly prohibited the use of its products for military purposes for more than twenty years. Immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all sales to Russia, Belarus and the occupied territories were stopped. Recently, U-Blox also stopped trading with the ex-Soviet republics of the Eurasian economic society.
As for the components in the Russian drones, they were purchased before the sanctions were imposed, randomly distributed by existing customers, smuggled into Russia, or dismantled from other products and installed in Russian drones. There are billions of GPS receivers you can make yourself, for example in e-scooters, cars or construction equipment, according to U-Blox.
Traco Electronic is also affected: “We regret and are shocked that electronic components bearing our logo have been found misused in military applications.” In its statement, the board states: “Our components are bulk industrial goods and are absolutely not intended by us for military use, let alone approved.” These are standard goods that do not appear in any dual-use regulations and are available worldwide through electronic web shops. The company further emphasizes: “As of February 28, 2022, our company has completely stopped all deliveries and business relationships to Russia, including those via third countries, with immediate effect.”
Finally, “STMicroelectronics” reports that it no longer operates in Russia: since the outbreak of war, efforts have intensified to comply with all sanctions against Russia. The products may only be used for their intended purpose. According to its own statements, “STMicroelectronics” is trying to enforce this around the world with an international compliance program, together with customers and suppliers, as well as government and non-governmental organizations.
The EU focuses on former Soviet republics
Shortly after the outbreak of war, it became apparent that the Russians were exploiting Western consumer goods and installing the electronic components in their drones and missiles. For example, the export of household appliances such as washing machines to Kazakhstan increased significantly. The reason: the Russians focus on the built-in semiconductors and controls. To stop such evasion, the European Union recently appointed David O’Sullivan, a special envoy, to take charge of the suspected countries.
According to him, the efforts of the EU and the West have already borne fruit. Many countries “do not want to be a platform for circumvention” and have already “made it difficult or even impossible to re-export such goods,” O’Sullivan said in July. To really get the problem under control, the West would have to sit down with China in particular: Russia receives almost 70 percent of the foreign components in the drones through China. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
