Business

Despite more than a decade of sanctions, Western tech is still powering Russia’s deadliest weapons linked to deliberate strikes on Ukrainian civilians. A new investigation uncovered more than 1,100 foreign-made microchips inside Russia’s most advanced fighter jets: the Su-34 and Su-35.

Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s defense industry is not just fighting for survival—it’s helping build Europe’s military future. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a strategy to expand defense production abroad called “Build with Ukraine”, aiming to establish arms partnerships across NATO countries, support NATO rearmament, and integrate Ukraine into Europe’s security architecture.

Despite an EU embargo on exporting ball and roller bearings to Russia—components small enough to fit in a palm, yet essential for keeping drones airborne and missiles on target—the Slovak firm Kinex Bearings shipped over $1.1 million worth to its Russian subsidiary in 2024.

The European Union’s plan to ban refined products made from Russian oil comes at the same time the war between Israel and Iran threatens to send global crude prices soaring—and nowhere do these two storylines intersect more dangerously than in Moscow’s budget.

Ukraine’s defense industry was born of necessity. Once reliant on foreign arms, it is now producing battle-tested weapons behind some of the war’s biggest breakthroughs. Kyiv is seeking investment to scale production and position itself as a major player in the global arms market.

A historic $215.9 million penalty on GVA Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm specializing in AI, exposes how Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov’s wealth slipped through the cracks of US sanctions. Despite being blacklisted in 2018, his investments, funneled through offshore networks, continued to grow—until the US stepped in.