Dutch microchips manufactured after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine continue to be regularly found in Russian weapons despite existing sanctions, according to an analysis of over 5,000 weapon components collected by Ukrainian military intelligence, as reported by RTL.
The investigation found that of more than 5,000 components examined, 379 were produced in the Netherlands. Of these, 91% were microchips, while the rest were various electronic elements. The European Union banned the export of such technologies to Russia nearly four years ago, yet supplies continue to reach Russian weapons systems through loopholes.
RTL was able to determine the production date of 32 Dutch microchips. More than 65% of these were manufactured after February 24, 2022 — the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Union expanded export restrictions on high-tech products the following day to prevent Western electronic components from entering Russian missiles, drones, and other weapons systems. Some of the microchips found were produced less than a year ago.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the presence of Dutch components in Russian weapons “highly undesirable.”
The ministry emphasized that the government is working closely with Ukrainian authorities and is committed to stopping sanctions evasion. To strengthen enforcement, the Netherlands government will allocate an additional €36.5 million
