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Western Materials Continue to Fuel Belarusian Microchip Production for Russia’s Missile Arsenal
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![Vlad Litnarovych]( "Vlad Litnarovych")
The Belarusian enterprise ‘Integral’ has been manufacturing microchips for Russian missiles while circumventing Western sanctions by using equipment and chemical materials sourced from Europe, uncovered an investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) on January 28.
The report was conducted in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
According to the investigation, Integral’s microchips are used in a range of Russian missiles, including the R-37, Kh-59M2A, S-300, Kh-101, Iskander, and Kalibr systems. Customs data reveals that from March 2022 to June 2024, Integral supplied over six million microchips to Russia, valued at $130 million. By 2023, Integral’s net profit surged to nearly $50 million—40 times higher than in 2021.
These microchips are primarily procured by Russian defense-related companies such as ‘Integral-Zapad,’ ‘Spets-Electronkomplekt,’ ‘EKB Innovative Technologies,’ and others. Additionally, shipments are funneled through Integral’s subsidiary in St. Petersburg, ‘Integral SPb.’
Integral relies on Western equipment for its production, which was identified in footage aired on Belarusian state television in 2024. Maintaining this machinery requires ongoing deliveries of raw materials and components from European suppliers. Despite sanctions, the investigation revealed that Integral continues to receive these supplies.
One notable example involves high-purity hydrochloric acid, essential for processing semiconductor wafers. In 2021, Germany’s UrSeCo Handels GmbH & Co. KG supplied this acid to Integral. However, after the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a new supply route emerged to bypass sanctions.
Shortly after the full-scale invasion began, a Kazakhstan-based company, United Trading Group, began supplying the acid to Russian companies ‘Siltron’ and ‘Electrosnab.’ These firms then delivered acid with identical specifications to Belarus. The investigation revealed a connection between Siltron and UrSeCo Handels, as both are owned by members of the same family.
Siltron denied importing hydrochloric acid from EU countries, claiming it produces the material domestically in Nizhny Novgorod. Meanwhile, Alexander Zhdanov, executive director and co-owner of UrSeCo Handels, told reporters that his company does not sell hydrochloric acid to anyone.
Integral has also sourced components for its machinery through intermediaries. For example, it obtained parts for German-made MWM 2032 gas engines via Belarusian companies such as ‘Motors and Transmissions,’ ‘Promelkom,’ and ‘Imperiya Zapad.’ These companies operate through shell firms based in Poland and Kyrgyzstan.
Additionally, Integral purchased 44 mini electric motors from the German company Faulhaber Group, routed through a Chinese supplier, Hebei Nanuo Alloy Material Co. Ltd., in 2023.
While Integral is listed on US sanctions lists, the European Union has not included the company in its restrictions.
Earlier, an investigation by The Insider and Czech media outlet Investigace revealed that nine European companies from the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland have continued to supply sanctioned industrial equipment to Russia, despite ongoing sanctions.
