Belarus Supplies Russia with Western Microchips for Warplanes and Missiles, Evading Sanctions

From September 2022 to June 2024, Belarusian companies supplied Russia with microchips valued at over $125 million, according to an investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Center on November 26.

The report reveals that approximately $400,000 worth of these components originated from Western manufacturers, including Intel, despite sanctions prohibiting such trade.

These deliveries were facilitated through complex schemes involving companies tied to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s inner circle.

Over nearly two years, Belarus shipped around 10,000 microchips from American and European manufacturers to Russia.

Some of the most notable components were Intel products, used in the navigation and deployment of aviation bombs, as well as in Su-35S and Su-34 fighter jets, “Korsar” drones, and “Kalibr” missiles.

One of the largest suppliers was Aleksvit Ltd., owned by Sergei Borysyuk, a former deputy chairman of the Belarusian State Customs Committee. According to the investigation, the company is closely linked to Viktor Sheiman, a longtime ally of Lukashenko and former head of the Presidential Affairs Department. Between September 2022 and June 2023, Aleksvit exported 131 microchips from the United States, Germany, and Finland to Russia.

Another key player is OFS-Export, which sold over 1,200 microchips to Russia between October 2022 and February 2024. Journalists connected the company to Alexander Shakutin, the owner of the Amkodor holding group, who is sanctioned by the EU and referred to as Lukashenko’s “wallet.”

Vostok Logistics Company, owned by Alexei Matveev, exported more than 1,500 American microchips to Russia between December 2022 and March 2023. Matveev is linked to businessman Sergei Teterin, another figure under EU sanctions for his close ties to Lukashenko.

The largest volume of Western microchips was supplied by First Continent, a company founded just two months after the war began. From January to June 2024, it sold 1,665 microchips worth $155,000 to Russia. Its owner, Ilya Tarasyuk, has prior connections to the Belarusian military-industrial complex.

In addition, Belarus may be involved in the development of Russia’s “Kedr” missile system, which was used in the attack on Dnipro on November 21.