“One of them, Silva, headquartered in Buryatia and established in September 2022, ordered 100,000 bulletproof vests and helmets from Shanghai H Win,” it says.Although the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI claims to have severed ties with Russia and "actively discourages the use of its products in hostilities." Politico found an October 2022 contract from the Chinese company Iflight to supply DJI drones through another company in Hong Kong to Russia. According to Politico, the supplies highlight increased China-Russia military and economic ties since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But Western officials warn China risks sanctions if it provides direct military aid. A French official said the equipment helps "keep the Russian military machine running" and "fill the gaps left by Western sanctions." One of the authors of the KSE Institute report, Elina Ribakova, said that indirect shipments via China pose challenges in terms of both the scope and enforcement of Western sanctions.
“Secondary sanctions may not be sufficient. Manufacturers have to take responsibility for where their products end up — just as regulators required banks to step up customer oversight and anti-money laundering operations in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis,” she said.Read also:
- Russia to teach in schools hand grenade skills & terrain reconnaissance – UK intel
- Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs a comprehensive air defense shield to overcome terror
- Ukraine eyes Swedish jet alongside Western F-16s – Business Insider
- Russian night attack ruins largest Orthodox cathedral in Odesa.
