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How Russia's military-industrial complex evades international sanctions

Investigation

How Russia's military-industrial complex evades international sanctions

Investigation

How Russia's military-industrial complex evades international sanctions

Chinese firm markets AI-guided interceptor drones and long-range fiber-optic systems to the Russian military

The Insider

The regime’s optics: Despite sanctions, Russia is advancing quantum and laser technologies for military use

Andrey Zayakin

Chemical brother: Russia’s production of explosives and ammunition is heavily dependent on Chinese chemicals

Andrey Zayakin

China’s drone modem pipeline: How mesh technology helps Russian UAVs penetrate deep into Ukraine

Andrey Zayakin

,

Ryan X

Explosive growth: Russia has tripled explosives production but still depends on ammunition from North Korea

Andrey Zayakin

Drone power: Russia is building a lithium-ion battery industry for UAVs using Chinese and Korean materials

Andrey Zayakin

Letting the genie out of the bottleneck: Russia is ramping up mass production of drone motors

Andrey Zayakin

,

Ryan X

Beryllium on the radar: Kazakhstan has become an indispensable supplier of materials to the Russian defense industry

Andrey Zayakin

U.S.-made Rogers laminates, used in the manufacture of military radars and jammers, continue to reach Russia via China

The Insider

Italian metallurgical equipment maker Danieli continued business with Russia despite claiming it had left the market two years ago

The Insider

The things they shipped: Lithuanian businessmen supplied Russia with Starlink terminals and drone motors during the war

Andrey Zayakin

,

Šarūnas Černiauskas

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Gabija Kučinskaitė

5.11 tactical clothing worn by Russian troops was imported by Polish, Latvian, and Hong Kong firms

The Insider

Chinese antenna maker Harxon made false claims in its attempt to refute The Insider’s reporting on sales to Russia

The Insider

Kazakh citizen was Russia’s top importer of fiber-optic cable and winding equipment for optical drones in 2025, The Insider finds

The Insider

Turkey reexported rifle scopes for an FSB supplier and micrometers for the Alabuga Shahed drone assembly plant in 2025

The Insider

Czech corporation Alta continues to service Moscow’s weapons manufacturers through Russian entities, investigation finds

The Insider

"How much are drone coils these days?": The Insider and Nordsint go undercover to reveal how Chinese firms supply Russia’s defense industry

Ryan X

,

Andrey Zayakin

The Insider identifies 6,000 exporters trading with sanctioned Russian firms or defense industry suppliers, 4,000 of them based in China

Andrey Zayakin

Meet the Pentagon contractor openly offering advice to Russian sniper rifle manufacturers

The Insider

Suppliers of death: The Insider identifies another 300 companies making purchases on behalf of the Russian military

Andrey Zayakin

Covering their trail: Russia’s customs service has started concealing data on sanctioned imports

Andrey Zayakin

Substance dependence: Russia’s military-industrial complex still relies on imported chemicals, including some from the West

Andrey Zayakin

Kremlin customer service: The Insider identifies the top 30 customs brokers facilitating sanctioned imports to Russia

Andrey Zayakin

“The sky is falling?”: Company linked to oligarch Deripaska bought American-inspired Swiwin engines for use in jet-powered Shahed drones

Andrey Zayakin

,

Timur Olevsky

Bottlenecked: Nine choke points where Russian industry remains critically dependent on imports

Andrey Zayakin

Yen don't stink: Japanese firm's Russia machine sales surge 2,000% during war

Andrey Zayakin

Forging ahead: Russia sidesteps sanctions to import Austrian machinery for making howitzer barrels

The Insider

A shot from Captain Morgan: Russian firms named after English pirates are sourcing Chinese parts for Shahed kamikaze drones

The Insider

Frozen accounts, fake parts, failed deliveries: Russian courts reveal the impact sanctions are having on the Kremlin’s defense industry

Andrey Zayakin

In 2024, Russia relied on South Korea’s YG-1 for $13M in defense-grade tooling

The Insider

German lubricant supplier Addinol sees Russian profits soar thanks to its products’ critical importance for defense enterprises

The Insider

Chinese supplier sold key gunpowder component to Russian importers, meeting over half of military demand in 2024

The Insider

Latvian firm supplied Western industrial automation equipment to Russian defense sector despite EU sanctions

The Insider

Four rotors and a prayer: How Russia built a billion-ruble drone industry using Chinese parts

The Insider

Customs data reveals Russian defense companies using Israeli-made cutting tools routed through third countries

The Insider

Tightening loopholes: Russia finally sees sharp drop in restricted industrial imports propping up its military-industrial complex

Andrey Zayakin