Russia’s imports of military and dual-use components resumed in 2023

In the first nine months of 2023, Russia’s imports of military components decreased by 9.1%, and imports of dual-use goods decreased by 28.5% compared to the period before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This is stated in the report of the Kyiv School of Economics and the Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions.

The analysts conducted a study of data on imports of 2771 components to Russia. These components include microchips, navigation equipment, and various sensors.

The report divides them into military ones – those used in weapons – and “critical” ones, which have a dual purpose.

It is noted that after the introduction of sanctions in 2022, imports of these components to Russia significantly dropped. However, in 2023, the Russians adapted supply chains and resumed purchases.

It is reported that in nine months of 2023, Russians imported $8 billion worth of “military” components and $20 billion worth of “critical” components.

Compared to the period up to February 24, 2022, the average monthly volume of imports of “critical” components decreased by 28.5%, and “military” components by 9.1%.

Analysts note that 44% of all “military” components were developed by Western companies.

Militarnyi recently reported that the supply of high-tech Chinese-made machine tools to Russia has increased tenfold since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Such equipment can be used for the manufacture of defense products, in particular, in the missile, armored, and ammunition industries.

Russian customs reports show that Chinese manufacturers shipped $68 million worth of equipment in July, up from just $6.5 million in February 2022, when the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion.

Russian imports of machine tools from the EU, where they were traditionally supplied earlier, fell sharply due to the tightening of restrictions in February 2022.