Russia is evading sanctions by ‘buying back’ military supplies from India and Myanmar

Customs clearance data on shipments to Russia analysed by Nikkei shows repurchases by Moscow

Russian president Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Eritrea’s president at the Kremlin in Moscow on 31 May 2023 (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia could be buying back military supplies previously exported to Myanmar and India, showed customs clearance data assessed in a Nikkei analysis.

The report cited records of Russian repurchases of parts for tanks and missiles exported previously to Myanmar and India, likely in a bid to reimport the components to improve older weapons expected to be used in Ukraine.

From India, Russia’s Machine-Building Design Bureau (NPK KBM) looking after the country’s missile production, purchased six components for night-vision sight for ground-to-air missiles for $150,000 (£120,757) in August and November last year, the report showed.

The order was placed with India’s defence ministry.

Customs clearance data on shipments to Russia analysed by Nikkei showed repurchases by Moscow. The report also cited examining records showing Russia’s imports of parts for weapons like tanks and missiles.

While Russia likely reimported the parts for repairs, no records have been found of the items being sent back to India this year till March, the report added.

Russia possesses around 5,000 tanks, as per the annual report by the British think tank The International Institute for Strategic Studies in its 2023 edition of “The Military Balance”.

In Myanmar, records show the tank manufacturer for Russia’s military UralVagonZavod imported military products from the southeast Asian nation on 9 December last year for $24m. These registration details for these imported components confirm being made by UralVagonZavod, the report said.

The company repurchased 6,775 sighting telescopes and 200 cameras for installation in tanks, as per the harmonised codes for these reimported goods.

In the aftermath of biting trade sanctions imposed, Russia is likely struggling to procure crucial components needed to enhance optical equipment which it previously managed with Western technology.

This comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky flagged Russia’s reliance on a network of suppliers helping it to evade international sanctions and continue building its missile arsenal. The war-time president did not mention the names of the countries and companies helping Russia with missile production on the technology front.

“We analysed in great detail how Russia circumvents sanctions and who helps it. Different countries, different companies, without which Russia would not be able to produce terrorist weapons, including missiles,” Mr Zelensky said on Sunday after a special meeting on sanctions with the main intelligence directorate, the foreign intelligence service and other top officials from the Kyiv administration.

He added: “Unfortunately, the terrorist state manages to use the technologies of the world through a network of suppliers, and manages to circumvent international sanctions regimes.”

“We see every direction of circumvention of existing sanctions, every country whose territory or jurisdiction, whose citizens are used by Russia to continue terror. And we must close all such areas – together with our partners – to ensure that Russian missiles and weapons do not contain products of the free world,” he said.

The necessary steps will be taken, Mr Zelensky said.