Russian tanks under sanctions are using chips from home appliances

Russian tanks under sanctions are using chips from home appliances

Russian tanks under sanctions are using chips from home appliances

Previous reports have described how Russia has made up for a shortage of electronic components caused by international sanctions since it began its invasion of Ukraine.

Recent findings in Ukraine underscore how far Russian manufacturers have come.

During a Senate hearing on Wednesday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo cited Ukrainians finding semiconductors in Russian tanks that were supposed to be used in dishwashers and refrigerators.

Ukrainian officials say the peculiarity is due to replacements for components that Russian manufacturers have been unable to obtain due to international sanctions.

Since Russia launched its invasion in late February, U.S. technology exports to Russia have plummeted by nearly 70 percent, Raimondo said. U.S. shipments of equipment parts to Russia have fallen by 85 percent over the past year, and sanctions are successfully crippling Russia’s war effort, Commerce Department spokesman Robin Patterson said.

In compliance with the sanctions, computer companies such as Intel , AMD , IBM, TSMC and GlobalFoundries have also stopped chip sales to Russia.

One Russian response has been to turn a blind eye to illegally imported (smuggled) electronics and components. Russia also plans to develop local chip manufacturing and reverse engineer Western electronics. The country hopes to produce its own 28nm node by 2030.

Russia isn’t the only entity dismantling household appliances to fill chip flaws.

Last month, ASML chief executive Peter Wennik admitted that some companies were repurposing chips from used washing machines to make up for the current global shortage of chips.