Russian weapons recovered on battlefield have US-made tech from Intel, Texas Instruments, more

Russia seems to still very easily get US-made tech after the US government (and its allies) imposed sanctions on the country, but weapons recovered from the special military operation in Ukraine have been found with US-made tech and semiconductors from the likes of Intel, Texas Instruments, and more.

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In a new report from Bloomberg, we're learning that Russian weapons recovered from the battlefields in the region are "chock full of gear" from companies like Intel, Analog Devices, and more, adding "much to the frustration of officials in Washington, Brussels, and Kyiv".

The outlet got its hands on a "cache of records" that revealed new data showing just how easy-flowing the supply chain between Silicon Valley and Russia really is. The records show that many of the steps that suppliers to Russia's military take to get components from US chipmaker Texas Instruments, unbeknownst to the company itself. The data also reveals that identify Russian distributors handing out thousands of shipments on their way to Russia's military contractors, including multiple of them being under US sanctions.

They help make drones, glide bombs, precision communications systems, and the Iskander missiles that Russia uses on Ukrainian cities. Just how hard is this purchasing process? Not that hard, as Bloomberg reports that some Russian distributors have integrated information from Texas Instruments' online shop, TI store, and even their sales platform, which allows clients to see semiconductor inventory and pricing... all before they even place their orders.

All the way from Moscow, these organizations can make orders for TI components and semiconductors with just a few clicks of their mouse, placing orders carried out and delivered through companies outside of Russia. Bloomberg reports that in one of the cases they reviewed, a major Russian distributor handled over 4000 orders for hundreds of thousands of TI products worth around $6 million from January to August of 2024.

Close to $4 million of those ordered were for Russian military companies, while the rest of the $2M+ of orders from TI were "likely for civilian use" according to the supply records. The items themselves were routed through Hong Kong or other countries, before making their way to Russia.

Thomas Withington, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank, said: "Any exports of high-tech chip and microelectronics technology to Russia, either directly or via third parties, carries the attendant risk that this technology could end up being used in weaponry. It is imperative that US and allied nations continually monitor their microelectronics exports, particularly to third parties".

Shannon Thompson, the company's assistant general counsel, said during the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearings in September, said: "I want to be very clear: TI strongly opposes the use of our chips in Russian military equipment. Any shipments of TI products into Russia are illicit and unauthorized. We work hard to prevent the illicit diversion of our parts into Russia. Every level of our company takes this seriously".