Ambassador: Russia is unable to establish production of high-tech components for weapons
The Russian Federation is unable to carry out full import substitution and establish the production of high-tech components that are part of its weapons, and retains a critical need to purchase such components from Western companies.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Netherlands Oleksander Karasevych said this in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague.
"Today, the Russian Federation is unable to carry out full import substitution and establish the production of high-tech components that are an integral part of its weapons, and retains a critical need to acquire such components from Western companies, in particular from the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, etc.", Karasevych said.
According to him, Ukrainian research centres continue to find components made by a number of Dutch companies among the wreckage of Russian weapons, including SuperCam S350 Lancet Shahed (various modifications), Zala (various modifications), Granat-4, Orlan, and Kh-59, Kh-101, KN-23/KN-24 ballistic missiles: Ampleon, Nexperia, NXP Semiconductor, Philips, Power- Packer, Skoopia and VSE.
He also noted that "unfortunately, there is currently no complete reliable statistics on the basis of which it would be possible to conduct a more accurate analysis of changes in imports of "sensitive" Western-made components to the territory of the aggressor state. At the same time, it is observed that due to the strengthening of the EU sanctions policy and the increased attention of the relevant manufacturing companies to this issue, the routes and geography of Russia's receipt of high-tech products have significantly changed."
The Ambassador also said that the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, together with the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, had conducted a showcase in The Hague of components found in Russian military equipment, UAVs and ballistic missiles of various modifications used by the aggressor state to hit civilian targets.
"...We have invited representatives of the diplomatic corps of our partner countries, as well as members of the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament. The main goal of the event is to inform our partners about the problem of Western technology components entering the Russian Federation for the further production of weapons that strike civilian targets in Ukraine. And to convey a signal about the need to adhere to the course of strengthening the sanctions policy and prevent the Russian side from creating new routes to circumvent sanctions," he said.
Karasevych stressed that joint efforts should deprive the aggressor of the ability to produce weapons for terrorising the civilian population:
- to compile a list of "sensitive" goods that pose a high level of risk and require proper inspection;
- prohibit the re-export of these goods to Russia and Belarus;
- standardise enhanced verification procedures for their delivery to countries with a high risk of sanctions circumvention;
- to increase the responsibility of third parties and banks for violations and negligence in the course of inspections of companies that then re-export components to the Russian Federation;
- ensure effective information exchange and synchronise efforts with other partner countries;
- adopt and maintain due diligence procedures, including recommendations, warnings, and sanctions circumvention schemes.
Karasevych also said that the embassy is in constant contact with the sanctions department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding the measures taken by the Dutch side to implement the sanctions policy at the national level.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, according to Nataliia Nestor, Deputy Director of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice, the missiles and drones used by Russia for daily attacks on peaceful cities and towns of Ukraine contain components made in more than 20 countries.