βThe German technology company was able to export to Russia technologies that are restricted, even after the European Union has introduced a new round of sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s regime for invasion of Ukraine.β, – WRITE: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Investigation of Politico
Details: Kontron, which works in the EU, the United Kingdom and America, has used its Slovenian subsidiary to export sensitive telecommunication technologies worth more than 3.5 million euros to its Russian unit at the end of 2023.
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This happened despite a few waves of EU sanctions, which came into force in 2023, including the 11th round in June of the same year, aimed at limiting the export of advanced technologies and double-use technologies to Russia.
Export data, verified by Politico, show that from July to November 2023, a few months after the imposition of sanctions in June, the Slovenian subsidiary of Kontron, Kontron Doo, sent 11 consignments of goods to its Russian subsidiary ISKRA Technologies.
Among the exported technologies was a dual -use product that can control and intercept communication traffic known as Si3000.
The company stated that supplies that included high -tech and double -use goods, banned by EU sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were existing orders permitted by export licenses granted to it by the Government of Slovenia. She said she stopped all new deliveries after a new wave of sanctions in June 2023.
“After the introduction of the 11th Package of Sanctions (June 23), we stopped export of any new goods and only delivered export supply already approved in accordance with the issued export licenses, in accordance with the current EU sanctions,” the company said.
EU sanctions on double -purpose technologies apply to all new and current contracts, even if they have been signed before sanctions.
However, they provide for some exceptions for cyberchnology, technologies for emergencies and medical technologies, while companies must obtain permission from the EU Member State in which they are registered for the execution of such orders. Neither the European Commission nor the Central Customs Administration of Germany indicated that the Kontron investigation is ongoing or started.
However, this case has raised new questions about Russia’s ability to access important technologies, even in the context of restrictions and prompted calls to strengthen the regime of global sanctions.
Roderich Kizetter, a member of the Bundestag from the CDU and a former NATO employee on security issues, said: “The absence of Western technologies, in particular, is a serious blow to the Russian military economy. That is why Russia has repeatedly tried to obtain Western technologies, bypassing sanctions with complex systems.”
He warned that Russia’s further access to observation and telecommunications technologies “facilitates Putin’s military machine and thus weakens European security.”
Kontron stated that it has “significantly” reduced its investments in Russia after invasion of Ukraine, reducing its number of employees from almost 600 to 240.
However, Kontron retains the presence in the Russian market through its subsidiary ISKRA Technologies.
Iskra Technologies itself came under EU sanctions in December 2024, and Kontron retains full control over this sanctioned organization.
Earlier it was reported that in Poland, three people were lattice in connection with the ignorance of EU sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus.
In March it became known that the German court decided to start criminal proceedings against two former leaders of the German machine -building Siemens, who were accused of violating sanctions due to the promotion of gas turbine exports to Crimea occupied by Russia.