An important step in reducing Russia's military potential is to strengthen sanctions and export controls on the supply of foreign weapons and components for its production. An important role in this process is played by the British research organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR, in Ukrainian: "researchers of conflict weapons").
Khrystyna Kimachuk, a field researcher at Conflict Armament Research, spoke about what exactly CAR specialists focus on in their research, how effective their reports on increasing sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation are, and how cooperation with Ukrainian expert organizations, in particular with the Kiev Research Institute of forensic examinations, takes place in an exclusive comment UNN.
Details
We monitor the supply chains of weapons systems and their components to conflict zones around the world or the countries that use them. In other words, we document such systems and their components in partnership with national authorities and monitor them through national export agencies or industrial facilities. we have been working in Ukraine since 2018. First, we investigated illegal supply chains of Russian weapons to the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. After the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine. CAR investigates supply chains of components found in weapons and military equipment used by Russia on the territory of Ukraine
According to her, since 2022, Sarah has published thirteen public reports outlining studies of various types of weapons used by Russia on the territory of Ukraine, in particular, Russian, Iranian and North Korean weapons systems.
Ukrainian expert institutions also provide important assistance in their preparation and further increasing pressure on the Russian Federation. Although CAR has a rule not to comment on the work of national agencies, the organization highly appreciates the work of Ukrainian experts.
The information that we prepare is extremely important for the effective implementation of sanctions and export control measures. Indeed, it is difficult to stop the supply of components if you do not know exactly what components are used, who buys them and transfers them, and how they end up in Russian, Iranian or North Korean weapons systems. Ukrainian institutions that carry out forensic, technical and scientific research, including the Kiev Research Institute of forensic examinations of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, do an incredible job in extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions. Their work is invaluable
The researcher added that there are several problems that need to be solved in order to limit the supply of foreign weapons and components for their manufacture to the Russian Federation.
Based on CAR research, it is worth noting that, first of all, components are rarely manufactured in the country of registration of the company responsible for their production. Second, the semiconductor industry is largely based on multiple levels of distributors, and so there is a chance that components are not delivered directly by manufacturers. Third, the problem of counterfeit components requires close cooperation with the industry to identify the original components before drawing conclusions about their origin. Finally, Russia, Iran and North Korea have not invested in their semiconductor industry like other countries, and therefore it is not surprising that there are so many non-domestic components in the weapons that the Russian federation uses against Ukraine. These four points mean that in order to solve the problem of supplying components to the above – mentioned countries and achieve certain results, it is necessary to work with industrial facilities
Щptional
Director of the Kiev Research Institute of forensic examinations Alexander Ruvin previously reported that the ballistic missiles produced by the DPRK, which the enemy attacked Ukraine, found almost 300 different components of microelectronics of foreign production.
Based on the results of the work of the Institute's specialists with representatives of the British "Center for the study of armed conflicts" Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a report was prepared by CAR on the study of parts and fragments of enemy missiles and attack drones. So, only in one object identified as a sample of a North Korean ballistic missile, 290 foreign-made Microelectronics components were found. The vast majority of elements provide rocket navigation, they are manufactured by more than 25 companies with headquarters in the United States, China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan, etc