Kostin: In The Hague, we coordinated efforts with partners to prevent illegal supply of technology to Russia

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice and Eurojust also joined the discussion, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The meeting was held, with the involvement of European institutions, particularly Eurojust and Europol, to address the illegal supply of technologies and components that can be used for arms production in Russia. Given the fact that the supply of technologies and components for weapons production continues despite the enormous efforts made by the United States, our European partners, and the United Kingdom, we proposed such a joint meeting to coordinate our efforts," Kostin said in an exclusive commentary to Ukrinform.

According to him, a working group set up in the United States is dealing with those investigations that involve a U.S. component. European countries are conducting their investigations. "We are conducting our (investigations – ed.) and also helping. It is important that we communicate not only with each country individually, but that it takes place in a joint coordination mode," the Prosecutor General said.

He underscored that in many cases when it comes to the supply of technologies or components used by Russia to produce weapons, "it is not just a supply from one country to Russia, but a chain that may involve companies or individuals from different countries."

"We see that many of those who are either suspects or have already been accused of criminal activities in various countries have dual or even triple citizenship. That is, they use these tools as an opportunity to engage in such illegal activities," Kostin emphasized.

He underscored that the missiles and drones used by Russia to attack Ukraine contain foreign components manufactured in at least 19 countries. These include China, South Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United States, and others.

According to Kostin, it is important to develop a comprehensive policy to prevent illegal trafficking in technology and to strengthen accountability mechanisms for those involved.

As reported by Ukrinform, Russia circumvents sanctions on technology, which allows it to manufacture weapons. The main high-tech component of missiles and drones is not produced in Russia but in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries.

In 2023, despite the sanctions, Russia managed to import more than $1 billion worth of chips for arms production.

Photo: Kostin, social media platform X